Aston Villa have today been linked with a loan move for Liverpool youngster Sheyi Ojo. With rumours suggesting Southampton, Middlesbrough and Bristol City are interested in at least two of our players, could this bring the future of others into doubt ahead of the new season.
Goal.com carry the report suggesting that manager Steve Bruce has targetted the youngster as a potential option ahead of the 2018/19 campaign.
One way of reading that is as a possible replacement for West Ham United’s Robert Snodgrass with a possible transfer fee of £10million being prohibitive due to our lack of financial planning and putting all our eggs in the promotion boat.
Ojo is highly rated and made quite an impression in 2017/18 from the stats where he spent the season with Fulham. He scored four times in 19 starts and four substitute appearances for our Play-Off nemesis and looking at his game record, I’m guessing injury curtailed more involvement. It’s said we have joined Stoke City, Birmingham City and Derby County in the chase for the player.
A more financially acceptable alternative to Snodgrass is one thing, but the question to be actually asked with this rumour is:
What would that mean for Andre Green and Albert Adomah?
I don’t know Ojo well but I believe he’s left-footed but predominantly used down the right flank so he can cut in. We had that mix with Snodgrass, but there’s Albert Adomah to consider. If Ojo comes in and does play, does that indicate earlier speculation about him moving to Middlesbrough or Bristol City is potentially more likely to happen?
The alternative is Ojo goes to the left wing, and then Green becomes the question with speculation suggesting Southampton want to raid us for him and possibly Keinan Davis.
With our financial position, I’m not sure if this is just sensible planning to cover all alternatives or whether Ojo would be a short-term tide over to allow someone out to help with the books.
There’s nothing solid in the speculation surrounding Green or Adomah, but it’s certainly not going away.
