OPINION
There is a tendency when teams get promoted to the Premier League to go out and sign players with top flight experience, even if they may not necessarily be the best fit for their side.
That’s the situation that Aston Villa need to ensure they avoid, after securing a return to the big time with their victory over Derby County at Wembley on Monday.
However, it appears that Dean Smith’s team may be about to fall into that trap. The Irish Independent reported on Thursday that the Villans are in a multi-team tug of war for Bournemouth midfielder Harry Arter.
It would surely be a big error to bring the 29-year-old to Villa Park though – he’d stink up the old place. You don’t need to go out and sign a mediocre player just to get some Premier League experience in your team. That’s what happened with Cardiff City when they brought Arter in on loan last summer, and it didn’t do them much good, did it?
The Republic of Ireland international made 25 appearances for the Bluebirds this campaign, failing to score and registering just one assist. Sorry, why are so many teams in for his services?
Arter’s a decent passer and a hard worker in the middle of the park, but Villa have superior players in that position already in John McGinn and Conor Hourihane.
Simply put, Villa should pull out of this reported transfer battle. Overpaying for average players is a dangerous thing to do and, with so many teams in the race, Smith could end up doing just that. The Villans boss must rein it in.