In a recent report, The Sun claimed that Aston Villa are trailing Liverpool in the race for Dundee United prospect Kerr Smith. It has been revealed that the Villans will have to compete with the Reds along with Everton, Manchester United and a few other unnamed clubs in pursuit of the Scottish youngster.
Smith’s Incredible Rise In Scottish Football Recently
Smith is a product of Dundee United’s academy and has done well to establish himself as a useful member of their match-day squad. The talented defender has already made 11 senior appearances for the Scottish outfit thus far across all fronts but is still waiting to score his first goal.
The 16-year-old has caught the eye by averaging 0.5 tackles, 0.5 interceptions, 3.5 clearances and 0.8 shots per 90 minutes in the Scottish Premiership. He has even taken care of the ball when distributing possession to his teammates from the back, as evidenced by his pass completion rate of 81.8% in top-flight football (stats via whoscored).
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Should Aston Villa Step Up Their Efforts To Land Kerr Smith?
At such a tender age, Smith has shown that he has the defensive awareness to make some important clearances at the back. He can also get stuck in with a tackle or two to make life tough for the opposition. The Scottish wonderkid can even sense the danger quickly to secure the ball back for his team. The Montrose-born starlet is good on the ball as he can pass the ball accurately from the back.
An up-and-coming centre-back of Smith’s potential will undeniably be a massive coup for the Villans if they can find a way to get him on board in the not-too-distant future. He is still quite raw and might need some time to settle into life in English football which is why the West Midlands club need to be patient with his progress if the youngster decides to move to Villa Park.
At 16, Smith has the ceiling to become a future star at the highest level. However, he might struggle to cope with the physical nature and high intensity of Premier League football. Still, the pros outweigh the cons of signing him, so Aston Villa should think about stepping up their attempts to acquire the services of the Scottish defensive ace in January or next summer.
