Aston Villa are keeping tabs on Kilmarnock midfielder Jordan Jones ahead of a potential move in the summer. According to recent reports, the Villans are monitoring the progress of the Northern Ireland international and has sent scouts to watch him in action for his national team in last weekend’s international friendly versus South Korea.
Jones featured for 82 minutes to help his nation Northern Ireland secure a hard-fought 2-1 win on the night. His performance on Saturday has impressed Villa scouts and now, the West Midlands club could be lining up a move for his services in the summer. The 23-year-old just has a year left to run on his current contract with Kilmarnock and he has refused to pen a contract extension which could pave the way for him to make a switch out of Scotland and into English football.
A whole host of clubs which includes Rangers and Bristol City were interested in signing him during the January transfer period but a move has failed to materialise so far. Jones has made 36 appearances for Kilmarnock this season, scoring 4 goals and providing 7 assists in all competitions. The left-midfielder also has two international caps for the Northern Ireland national team so far.
He joined Kilmarnock from Middlesbrough in the summer of 2016 and has since been an integral player for the Killie. Only time will tell whether Steve Bruce’s side ends up making a concrete offer for the player this summer.
The Villans currently find themselves in 4th place in the league standings, with a tally of 69 points in 38 league matches. They are still well in contention to secure a top 6 finish going into the final stretch of the season. However, Steve Bruce’s team have recently fallen off the pace in the league which could be due to their lack of squad depth.
The potential addition of Jones will undoubtedly bolster Steve Bruce’s midfield options ahead of the new campaign. The Northern Irishman is highly versatile and can be deployed in a number of different positions across the pitch. He primarily operates on the left-flank but can also play as a secondary striker, which makes him a perfect fit for the Villans.
At 23, Jones still has his peak years ahead of him which Villa could look to capitalise on in the coming years. It remains to be seen what lies ahead in the future of Jones and whether he ends up making a switch to Villa Park in the near future.
