According to a recent report from Birmingham Mail, Pepe Reina has admitted that he is unsure about where his future lies. The Spanish goalkeeper signed for Aston Villa on loan in January, and he is contracted to stay at Villa Park until June. A report in Italy though mentions that Reina would be back in the frame at AC Milan once his loan spell expires with the Birmingham outfit. The former Liverpool ace still has a year left on his contract with the Serie A side.
Reina talks about his future
Reina was recently asked about his future on the social media by a fan to which he said, “The loan expires on June 30 then I have one more year with Milan. But in football you never know, do you?”
The Spanish goalkeeper has made a string of crucial saves in the appearances which he has made for the English club. However, Villa still have a lot to do as they are currently in the relegation zone. Reina has been the preferred starter over Orjan Nyland ever since his arrival in the winter transfer period.
The Coronavirus outbreak has undoubtedly thrown in a lot of complications, especially for players whose contracts are expiring in May or June. There is no guarantee that the league would be finished in time and it remains to be seen what solution FA would come up with for players who are running out of a contract. Maybe we could see players extending their stay by one or two months.
Should Villa sign Reina permanently?
A lot of Villa’s transfer plans would depend on which division they would be playing in the next season. When Tom Heaton is fit, he will likely continue as the first-choice goalkeeper. Apart from that, Dean Smith has the likes of Jed Steer and Nyland at his disposal.
It was only after a significant injury to Heaton that Villa went on to sign a new goalkeeper in January. Hence, if Heaton is up and ready for the upcoming season, then there should be no need for signing Reina permanently.
The 38-time Spanish international is an experienced candidate to start in goal, but the club already has a player of similar stature in Heaton. Reina is already 37, so he isn’t going to be around for long at the top level. Hence, signing him permanently doesn’t make much sense if Heaton is back to his best for the upcoming season.
