In a recent interview with Sky Sports, Burnley midfielder Josh Brownhill provided an update on his future amid recent interest from Aston Villa. When asked to address the latest speculation linking him with the Villans and West Ham United, Brownhill said,
“When you start to do well, you get recognition for it.
“There’s a lot of people who will talk, but you tend to not listen to them.
“I’m here at Burnley and my main goal is to do well here and to keep the club in the Premier League. Then it’s onto next season and to progress even more.
“Whatever people talk about, it’s not for me to listen. It’s up to me to crack on with my work and to work hard here.”
Brownhill’s Encouraging Season At Lancashire
Brownhill has experienced a solid season at Turf Moor after producing a series of dominant displays at the heart of the Clarets midfield. The Warrington-born sensation has featured in 26 matches for Sean Dyche’s team this term, finding the back of the net once across various competitions.
The English midfield ace has given a good account of himself on the field as he is averaging 1.4 tackles, 2.4 interceptions, 1.1 clearances and 1.0 shots per 90 minutes in the Premier League. He has even distributed the ball relatively well by completing 79.7% of his attempted passes in the English first division (stats via whoscored).
What Are The English Midfielder’s Best Attributes?
Brownhill can do a bit of everything at the centre of the park, which has made him such an essential member of Dyche’s first-team. He is a tough-tackling midfielder who excels at disrupting the opposition’s rhythm in the game.
The 25-year-old is often quick to scan the danger and can pull off some crucial interceptions at the back. He is not shy of putting his body on the line to try and block a goal-bound attempt from the opposition. Furthermore, Brownhill is a hard-working player who is a tidy passer from midfield.
What Should Be Dean Smith’s Play Here?
A multipurpose midfield workhorse like Brownhill would have been a welcome addition to the Villans squad. However, the player has shown no indication that he would be interested in a move away from Turf Moor, so Smith has no choice but to switch his attention to some of his other more achievable transfer targets later this year.
However, if the situation changes and the Clarets decide to entertain any offers for their prized asset in the summer, Aston Villa would be wise to engineer a move to bring Brownhill to Villa Park before the start of the new campaign. At 25, he is about to enter the prime years of his football career and will be a good choice for the West Midlands outfit for the long-run.
