Aston Villa started their season with a defeat against Tottenham Hotspur. Villa have spent big in the transfer market, but they are counting heavily on Wesley Moraes as a striker this season who hasn’t played at such a high level before. Jonathan Kodjia is another option available, but recent reports from Turkish media outlet Ortacizgi have emerged stating that Besiktas are keen on luring Kodjia this summer.
Smith On Kodjia
The fact that he is a second choice striker might mean that even Kodjia might be keen on a move, but Dean Smith has rebuffed any of those claims as he made it clear recently that the club is unlikely to welcome any offers for their second choice striker.
Smith was quoted as saying (Birmingham Mail), ”We haven’t had any offers. We don’t welcome any. Jonathan is happy here, and we are happy with him. He is looking forward to the Premier League season.”
With the European window still open, Premier League clubs are at a slight disadvantage as they won’t be able to sign any replacements if any of their players go on to leave now. Kodjia was behind the pecking order last season as Smith had Tammy Abraham at his disposal.
Why Villa need Kodjia for now?
Kodjia’s versatility is a significant asset, and he contributed with nine goals and three assists in the Championship last season. The 29-yeard-old’s off the bench cameo against Spurs was his first appearance in top-flight football in his career. Apart from the Championship, Kodjia has only played in the Ligue 2 before.
We think that if the transfer window would have been still open for Villa, then they might have entertained offers for Kodjia and would have probably looked to replace him with a more proven option at the top level. With the window now being closed, it is no surprise to see the club taking a tough stance on the 29-year-old forward.
Apart from Kodjia and Moraes, Keinan Davis is the only other strike option available for Smith. The 21-year-old is vastly inexperienced, and he made just five appearances in the Championship last season. The Villa boss might deploy any of his new wingers as a ‘false 9’ instead of going for Davis if the situation arises. Therefore keeping hold of Kodjia until January is a must for Smith. Maybe when Villa can sign a replacement, they might sanction a move for the Ivory Coast forward in the next window.
