The Daily Mail has recently reported that Aston Villa striker Keinan Davis is on Stoke City’s radar this month. However, Sky Sports’ Transfer Centre has revealed that the Villans boss Dean Smith has no intention of letting the English striker leave on loan during this January transfer window.
Davis’ Growing Frustrations In The Premier League This Season
Davis has endured a frustrating season under the tutelage of Dean Smith as he has failed to earn regular playing minutes at Villa Park in recent months. The 22-year-old has netted one goal and grabbed one assist in seven matches for the West Midlands club this term across multiple competitions.
The Stevenage-born marksman is yet to make a start in the Premier League this season which explains why he is averaging 0.8 shots, 0.3 key passes and 0.3 dribbles per game in the English first division. He also needs to interchange possession with his teammates a bit better after making just 76.2% of his attempted passes in league football (stats via whoscored).
The English marksman needs to earn more playing minutes as the lack of it is hampering his development at Villa Park. He has often found himself behind Ollie Watkins in Smith’s pecking order this season, so a six-month loan switch to the EFL Championship this month could do his confidence a world of good.
What Does The English Youngster Add To Dean Smith’s Side?
Davis is a strong and athletic forward who packs a lot of venom with his shots on-target. Standing at 1.89m, he can be a towering presence inside the opponent’s penalty area as he possesses the strength with some important aerial duels for his team. The former Stevenage youth player can lead the line on his own or play alongside someone else and support them as a secondary forward if needed.
The English centre-forward has shown that he can find the back of the net every now and then when he is playing with confidence but needs to find some consistency if he intends to become a regular feature in Premier League football someday.
Should The Villans Allow Davis To Leave On Loan This Month?
The decent form of Ollie Watkins this season has kept Davis out of the Aston Villa first-team. Now that Wesley Moraes is close to returning from his long-term injury, the Villans can afford to sanction Davis’ temporary exit as Moraes is more than capable of playing as a back-up to Watkins in the second half of this campaign.
Smith would be wise to change his stance and let Davis go out a short-term loan deal before the transfer window comes to a close at the start of next month. At 22, the English frontman will undoubtedly thrive with regular first-team football in the Championship which would help him stake a claim for a first-team place at Villa Park next season.
