Aston Villa rose to 15th place in the table with their recent win over Norwich City. Dean Smith’s men have had a rocky start to the Premier League, but there has been enough encouragement that they could survive the drop. The pressure is on the players and the manager to deliver the goods after Villa emerged as one of the highest spenders this summer.
However, there is one area where they might need more reinforcements, and that is the forward line. The club signed Wesley Moraes for big bucks, and the Brazilian striker has shown good signs so far. But if one looks for options beyond him, then Smith might have to scratch his head. Jonathan Kodjia is the other recognised striker in the team, and he has struggled with injuries of late.
Moreover, there are doubts about whether Kodjia would be able to produce the goods in the Premier League as he is yet to be tested at this level. Therefore Villa should be on the lookout for a new striker who will add depth and will compete with Moraes for the first-team spot.
Villa urged to sign this Celtic man
One player that Villa have been urged to sign is Celtic’s star striker Odsonne Edouard. Former Scotland international Kris Boyd believes (Birmingham Mail) that Edouard will be a good signing for Villa who can come in the price range of £25-30m. He also believes that he has the potential even to represent France in the future.
Italian heavyweights Lazio were recently linked with Edouard. However, it is unlikely that Celtic will sell him this season. We think that Dean Smith should take Boyd’s advice and try to sign him next summer. The 21-year-old has fantastic overall attributes, and he can thrive in the Premier League.
What can Edouard offer?
Edouard is a right mix of someone who can hold up play well, and along with that, he is willing to make runs from the shoulder of the last defender. The 21-year-old has represented France at various youth levels. The forward has quick feet as well as he can go on marauding runs from deep areas and he should suit Villa’s gameplan well.
The Celtic man came up from PSG’s academy, and the Hoops made him their record signing. In 98 appearances for Celtic, he has 42 goals to his name along with 17 assists. There is still room for improvements to his game, but he is only 21 and Edouard could be one to watch out for in a few years. Smith should definitely look to add him to his roster.
