According to a recent report by Spanish source AS, Spanish second division high-flyers Real Zaragoza are said to have opened negotiations with Aston Villa over the potential acquisition of winter signing Borja Baston. The report suggests that the Spanish side are keen to bring the striker back to the Romareda this summer, but that the Spaniard is only willing to make a move if they get promoted to La Liga next season.
It has been suggested in the report that the 27-year-old is now ‘closer than ever’ to making a return to Zaragoza, which is arguably where the striker has enjoyed his best spell as a professional footballer. The renowned Spanish club currently sit just a single point of league leaders Cadiz, and there are real hopes of promotion that have been running all through the Romerado for a while now. The striker was only signed on by the Villans in January in a surprising acquisition from Championship outfit Swansea City.
What Is Aston Villa’s Current Strike Situation?
The side from Birmingham started the season with three recognised strikers in their ranks, and despite making a couple of additions in that department during the winter transfer window, it’s one that they’ve struggled to fill properly. The record signing of Wesley in the summer before the campaign was seen as a step in the right direction, but the Brazilian’s unfortunate injury midway through the season made things a lot more complicated for Dean Smith’s men.
They went on to sign Tanzanian international Mbwana Samatta in the winter as well, meaning that the competition for places next season would be intense. With Kienan Davis still in their ranks, it’s perhaps not surprising that suitors have already begun asking for Borja Baston.
It’s highly unlikely that the Spaniard will reach the levels that Samatta and Wesley have achieved so far during their short stays at Villa Park. While Wesley has scored five goals in his 20+ league outings this season, the Genk man found the net in the first of his four league fixtures.
What Has Borja Baston Achieved At Villa Park?
The 27-year-old was brought in as Dean Smith looked desperately to find reinforcements for the striking role. Although he would’ve hoped to have a bigger impact than he did, a lot of that could be down to the fact that Samatta seemed to simply hit the ground running. The Spaniard was kept on the bench by the staff, and he played just 16 minutes of league action in the entirety of his stay at Villa Park. Breaking into this side isn’t going to get any easier for the former Swansea man in the coming season either.
Should The Villans Offload Their Man In The Summer?
Dean Smith has attempted to maintain a rather attacking mindset within the Villa side all through the campaign, and it’s safe to say that it has worked to a certain extent. The names of players like Jack Grealish and John McGinn come to mind when thinking of Villa’s creativity. Unlike Wesley and Samatta, Baston has completely failed to take advantage of the promising situation they had going at Villa Park.
Signing the 27-year-old in a desperate bid to replace Wesley had been an unnecessary move in the first place, and if they don’t manage to sell him off this summer, it would have to be considered as a failure on the club’s part.
