Some Aston Villa fans have been left fuming by their links with Millwall defender Jake Cooper in recent days.
Football Insider recently reported that the Villans want to sign Cooper in the upcoming summer transfer window. The report goes on to state that Dean Smith is looking to strengthen the club’s backline in the summer and Cooper is currently pretty high up on the club’s wish list.
Is Cooper good enough for Aston Villa?
Yes, he's quality
No, he's average at best
Scottish giants Rangers have previously been linked with a move for the 25-year-old defender.
When a Villa-related Twitter account @villareport relayed this piece of news, it left many fans fuming. They feel it is a sign of the club going back into the Championship soon.
Preparing for championship then
— Sam Davies (@samjdavies16) February 25, 2020
Prep for the championship already underway
— joe (@Frostyz___) February 25, 2020
Pathetic
— LaFamilià (@Ashley_k_m) February 25, 2020
Going down
— Garin (@GarinWilliams) February 25, 2020
At least he won’t have to change leagues.
— john howard (@johber737) February 25, 2020
Getting ready for life in the championship I like it!!
— Andrew Miller ? (@_MillerAV) February 25, 2020
Planning for the Championship i see
— Villatom91 (@villatom91) February 25, 2020
Preparing for the Championship then I see.
— Jack (@Jackisonfire) February 25, 2020
Cooper, 25, is a former England Under-19s international. The centre-back has been a regular for Millwall this season and has made 36 appearances in all competitions so far. He has one goal and one assist to his name.
He has made 4.6 clearances per game in the Championship this season, also winning 4.5 aerial duels per game in the competition. He wins 0.6 tackles per game and makes just 0.9 interceptions per game in the Championship as well.
What do we think?
Cooper’s numbers show that while he may be a very good header of the ball, he is hardly a good tackler. His average Whoscored rating for the season stands at 6.77 – the lowest of his ongoing Millwall stint to date.
Whether Villa go for Cooper remains to be seen, though it seems understandable that fans believe the club are preparing for the worst – particularly with the defender hardly at the top of his game.