As per one of the latest reports by The Birmingham Mail, Aston Villa are perceived to be keen to offload their defender, Ritchie De Laet this month. Steve Bruce has made it quite clear that he is willing to listen to offers for the right-back, who is really struggling to get the requisite game time under his belt in the Championship this season.
Bruce already has two quality right-backs in the shapes of Alan Hutton and Ahmed Elmohamady and commendable performances from both of them have really sidelined De Laet, who has been handed merely 1 start in the league and 4 appearances off the bench. The manager rates him highly but he doesn’t want the fullback to stagnate in the ranks of the Villans this season.
Aston Villa are very much in the race for promotion to the Promised Land of the Premier League. After a decent first-half, they would be keen to keep their form and momentum intact. Bruce must be eyeing for a top-two finish in the league table, which would render his side an automatic promotion to the top division and given that the players he has operated mostly with have been yielding substantial dividends, he is unlikely to trifle with his preferred personnel.
Bruce is open to the idea of selling him as well as shipping him out on loan to get some time on the pitch, which certainly makes a lot of sense. The report states that some Championship clubs, as well as clubs from League One, are keen to lure him to their ranks and it is to be seen what lies ahead for De Laet, although a loan move seems to be a wiser choice at this stroke of the hour.
The 29-year-old has volumes of experience under his belt, having plied his trade with the likes of Leicester City, Portsmouth, Manchester United, Preston North End and Middlesbrough, apart from Aston Villa of course. He is a good reader of the game, times his tackles and interceptions well and is good at holding the ball.
Besides, he is more than a decent commodity whilst galloping forward and thus, could be a useful asset for any Championship side in need of a right-back. With a loan spell, Bruce might be able to assess him minutely and the player should be able to kick-start his season after hardly being allowed to spend time on the pitch by the Lions.
Statistics Credits: WhoScored
