According to the Express and Star, there’s ‘a possibility’ that Dean Smith could bring Rico Henry to Aston Villa in January as ‘priorities remain’ signing a left-back. Neil Taylor is currently sidelined with injury and Villa don’t have an obvious backup in defender after selling Jordan Amavi to Olympique Marseille over the summer.
It’s likely to lead Smith to sign a new fullback in the January transfer window and Henry might be on his radar given his ties to Brentford. The 21-year-old has only just returned from a lengthy knee injury and has featured in three of the Bees last four Championship games. It’s unknown if Brentford are looking to sell, but Smith being his old manager could be a potential lure for Henry.
The English defender had been out all season through injury up until November 24 when he faced Middlesbrough, so it’s unlikely he would be seeking an exit so soon after his recovery. It’s not the first time Henry’s name has been mentioned, nor will it be the last as January approaches, but Villa might be wasting their time trying to sign him.
Waiting until next summer has a greater chance of being successful.
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