According to the latest reports from the Birmingham Mail, Aston Villa are being linked with a move for Lincoln City’s attacker Bruno Andrade. The versatile forward enjoyed an impressive campaign with the League Two outfit, playing a pivotal role in achieving promotion to the English third tier.
Villa themselves are fighting for promotion to the Premier League. If they manage to reach the promised land, then they will receive with it a massive financial windfall which will allow them a chance to bolster their squad for the upcoming season.
25-year-old Andrade made 50 appearances for his side in all competitions this season and contributed with 11 goals and eight assists. The Portuguese playmaker played as a left winger for most parts of the campaign, but he is equally adept at playing in attacking areas down the middle as a secondary striker.
Andrade will enter in the final year of his contract soon, and his impressive form is garnering interest from quite a few higher division clubs. However, the move to Villa can turn out to be a dream one for the player as the Clarets and Blues are one game away from reaching the Premier League, and Andrade can go from the fourth tier to the top tier within one season.
The former QPR player’s biggest asset is his blistering pace, and he has troubled quite a few defenders in the League Two with it. However, he will come up against better defenders in the higher divisions, and it would be interesting to see whether he would be able to produce the results then.
Villa’s transfer plans could be on hold as it is yet not clear which division they might play in the next season. The playoff finalist should also look to sign a winger like Anwar El Ghazi permanently who has played a significant role in Dean Smith’s squad playing on loan from LOSC Lille.
What should be Dean Smith’s play?
If the Villans achieve promotion to the Premier League, then we believe they can aim higher than Andrade if they are looking to add a left winger. The Portuguese player isn’t too young and expecting him to hit the ground running in the Premier League straight away could be too much to ask. However, if they fail to get promoted, then signing someone like Andrade might make sense as the club wouldn’t have that much money to spend on the transfers and the 25-year-old can turn out to be a shrewd signing for the Villans.
