OPINION
Aston Villa are surely destined not to sign Cardiff City goalkeeper Neil Etheridge as it seems they already are considering other options.
The Villans are clearly keen on the 6’2″ shot-stopper (Source: Transfermarkt) as Wales Online previously reported that they bid £8million in order to get him, only for that offer to be turned down.
Football Insider then reported that the Villans were planning to submit another offer for Etheridge in the region of £9million.
However when you consider that Wales Online stated that Cardiff didn’t want to sell their goalkeeper and that they had rejected a £10million offer from Fulham, then clearly the Villan’s potential second offer is also bound to fail.
Yet you feel Dean Smith’s side already know that based on Sun journalist Alan Nixon’s update on their pursuit of the Cardiff goalkeeper.
The reliable reporter was asked whether the Villans had returned with an improved offer yet, and he shared that Villa had a foreign option to consider.
Have a foreign option https://t.co/uMqh82pTZm
— Alan Nixon (@reluctantnicko) June 10, 2019
“Have a foreign option,” wrote Nixon on his Twitter account.
When you consider that the Villans are bidding under what Cardiff want, and when you take into account they’re already considering other options, hence why they’ve not submitted a second bid, it doesn’t sound like they’re going to get his signature.
The Villans are clearly prepared to discover Etheridge is out of their price range by already having another option to consider, and that suggests they’re not about to table an offer to force Cardiff’s hands.
Given that the 29-year-old shone for Neil Warnock’s side last season, despite their struggles, it’s rather disappointing that he doesn’t appear to be Villa Park-bound.
Etheridge kept 10 clean sheets in 38 league outings, which is no easy feat when playing for Cardiff, and he would have been an experienced keeper for Smith to call upon if recruited.
Yet unless there’s a drastic change of circumstances, the Villans are destined not to benefit from his talents anytime soon.