Aston Villa are on a good run of form and sit 4th in the Championship, but a surprising string of injuries have reportedly made the club consider signing a striker in January.
According to Football Insider and Football League World, Steve Bruce’s club are considering the possibility of signing Sheffield United striker Leon Clarke.
Aston Villa have seen Gabriel Agbonlahor, Scott Hogan and Jonathan Kodjia all go down with injury this season – with the latter potentially missing the rest of the campaign.
Couple that with Ross McCormack being sent out on-loan to Melbourne City and it leaves the Villains with 19-year-old Keinan Davis as their only out-and-out striker.
The lack of options up front has so far had little impact for Aston Villa, with Ghanaian international midfielder Albert Adomah scoring 10 goals in 15 league appearances.
But with a long season still ahead of them, the need for more depth up front seems to have made Bruce consider an approach for the Championship’s top goal scorer.
Clarke, currently in his second season with Sheffield United, has scored 13 goals and picked up a further two assists in 16 league games this season – one of the best of his long career.
The 32-year-old’s partnership with Billy Sharp, who has eight goals and 3 assists this season, has seen the Blades climb to a surprising 3rd place in the league.
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Considering the club won the League One title just a few months earlier, the climb is an impressive one and could be a potential hurdle for Aston Villa’s hopes of signing the veteran striker.
Even if the player is willing to join the Midlands club, there is no guarantee that he is the best player to bring in for the second half of the season.
Clarke is in the latter stages of his career and, despite his excellent form so far, there is no guarantee he’ll live up to expectations for Steve Bruce’s Villa.
He has formed a strong partnership with Sharp and leaving him to partner with an inexperienced Keinan Davis may see Clarke’s output drop.
Villa are desperate for some reinforcements up front to keep their strong form going, but there could be better options for them to consider.
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If they are determined to sign Clarke, however, he is currently valued at around £450,000 according to Transfermarkt but could realistically cost significantly more due to his good form.
But one fact remains: Whether it is Clarke or someone else, Villa need more depth up front to keep their promotion bid alive.