Aston Villa considering McBurnie January loan move
By James Reeve
The transfer rumour mill is in full swing with less than a month to go until January, and Aston Villa have once again been linked with a young striker from the Premier League.
Steve Bruce’s side are suffering through a string of well-publicised injuries to Gabby Agbonlahor, Scott Hogan, John Terry and last season’s top goal scorer Jonathan Kodjia.
With three of the four aforementioned players being strikers, Aston Villa have a severe need for some support in the January transfer window.
Enter Swansea City’s 21-year-old striker, Oliver McBurnie.
According to reports, the 6-foot-2 striker is attracting the interest of the Villans after impressing for the Welsh club’s Under-23s this season.
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McBurnie has made seven appearances for the Premier League club’s first-team, but his seven goals in five Under-23 matches is what could be attracting to Bruce’s promotion-chasers.
The Scotland Under-21 international seems keen on experiencing regular first-team football to continue his development, with a reported summer loan move to Championship club Barnsley failing to materialise.
If McBurnie joined Villa for the remainder of the 2017/18 season, he’d be joining a team that has a strong chance of achieving promotion back into the Premier League, under the guidance of a solid manager that has an injury-stricken team still fighting alongside the big boys of the second tier.
With 19-year-old Keinan Davis being the only fit striker available to Bruce, with Kodjia and possibly Hogan expected to miss the rest of the season, it stands to reason that McBurnie would be in line for regular minutes in the Championship – something that would benefit both him and Aston Villa.
The club hope to keep their positive form alive, with a busy season reaching the halfway point, and McBurnie will be able to develop surrounded by plenty of experienced players – including club captain and former England captain John Terry.
Agbonlahor is expected to return to the first-team in the coming weeks, but it will be a while before he is ready to play 90 minutes regularly.
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Having a young, hungry striker pushing for regular playing time will be a boost to Aston Villa and their hopes of returning to the Premier League at the second time of trying.