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England international could snub Preston for Aston Villa move – opinion

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According to The Sun (h/t HITC), Preston North End are looking to hijack Aston Villa’s alleged bid to sign Tom Heaton on loan, with the Burnley goalkeeper desperate for more playing time after struggling for minutes this season.

Preston are reportedly open to selling Chris Maxwell in January and want a new shot-stopper to compete with Declan Rudd for a starting place, but Villa could promise Heaton first-team football without argument.

Dean Smith is said to have lost patience with Orjan Nyland after the summer signing’s inconsistent form this season and has two goalkeepers on his shortlist – Heaton and Karl Darlow (Newcastle).

Heaton may be first-choice if he picked Villa which could sway any decision in January. If he’s still not guaranteed a starting place at Preston, he may opt for a move elsewhere.

The 32-year-old has made just three appearances in all competitions this season, with Joe Hart ahead of Heaton in the pecking order. Sean Dyche may even prefer the returning Nick Pope as Burnley’s No.2 so a Turf Moor exit looks nailed on.

With Nyland having conceded 28 goals in 19 appearances, in addition to keeping only five clean sheets, Heaton could be brought in to replace the former FC Ingolstadt ‘keeper.

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