Aston Villa might have been held to a 1-1 draw at the Pirelli Stadium but they have indeed made a really commendable turnaround in the second half of the season. With 8 wins in their last 10 Championship outings, the Villans have climbed up to the 11th spot in the league table with 58 points from 41 games and are on course for a fine finish as we are into the business end of the season.
In a campaign which has been nothing short of a rollercoaster ride, one of the players who has begged to differ from undergoing a sporadic form has been their charismatic forward Jonathan Kodija. The 28-year-old is enjoying a very fruitful campaign in the Aston Villa shirt, having banged 19 goals and also has 1 assist to his name in 33 appearances in the second tier of English football.
As expected, Kodija’s stellar performances have already started to draw a lot of attention from the Premier League’s vultures and it has been recently reported that Everton and Stoke City have put the name of the Ivory Coast international on their radar. The summer transfer window would be a huge one for the Villans to bolster their squad but one thing they must do is hold on to their serial goal-getter in the form of Kodija.
He is a striker who could be pencilled into a wide range of slots such as the no. 9, on either wing as well as in the middle of the park and it definitely makes him a perfect utility player. Tall and physically very well constructed, Kodija has quick feet and his movements with as well as without the ball are simply exemplary, to say the least. Besides, he holds the game meticulously in the final third and invites his teammates to jet forward and carve openings for his side.
Steve Bruce thoroughly cherishes the fact that he has someone as reliable as Kodija up front who is one of the most clinical finishers of the division and is a modern-day attacker to have in the ranks. The former Bristol City man is dangerous on the counter-attacks and cracks down the defence of the opponents with his shrewd technical edge and mobility.
He has prevented the Lions from having goal-droughts and is able enough to score 15-20 goals every season which make him a perfect commodity. Without any shadow of a doubt, Bruce would be hammering his own toes if he lets Kodija leave Villa Park in the summer.
Statistics Credits: WhoScored.
