According to Daily Mail, Aston Villa are interested in signing Birmingham City midfielder Jota in the summer transfer window, with reports claiming that manager Dean Smith is eyeing a sensational reunion with his former Brentford player at Villa Park.
Daily Mail understands that Smith is keen to bring the 27-year-old Spaniard to the club and he believes Jota can add a lot of value to the team in the top-flight.
The same source claims that the Lions are prepared to offer £4 million to secure the services of the Spaniard, with central midfielder Gary Gardner going the other way. Gardner spent this past season on loan at Birmingham City in the Championship and it is pretty apparent that Villa are keen to get him off their books permanently.
Jota, though, is not the only player to have been linked with a move to Villa, with Smith also keen on bringing in Joe Lolley from Nottingham Forest, whilst making Anwar El Ghazi’s loan deal permanent remains high on his wishlist for the summer. (h/t Daily Mail)
The deal, if it materializes, would see the two Midlands rivals break the ice in the transfer window for the first time in 36 years, although talks over the swap deal involving Jota and Gardner are yet to reach an advanced stage.
A youth product of Celta Vigo, Jota played very little for his boyhood club and spent time on loan with Real Madrid’s reserve side before playing for Eibar in the second-tier. The playmaker was signed by Brentford back in the summer of 2014 and he became an instant hit in the Championship, registering 11 goals and 3 assists in his debut season.
Jota went on to establish himself as one of the Championship’s most creative players over the course of his time at Griffin Park, accumulating 23 goals and 11 assists in 78 appearances for the Bees. The creative ace made his move to Birmingham City in the summer of 2017, and after a mediocre first season at St. Andrew’s, Jota proved his worth as a dynamic playmaker this term.
The 27-year-old was one of the shining lights of Birmingham’s rather disappointing campaign in the Championship this past season, as the Spaniard managed to impress with 3 goals and 11 assists in 40 outings. He wasn’t at his sparkling best but still managed to rack up the numbers, which might just earn him an opportunity to prove his credentials in the Premier League next season, with Aston Villa keen on securing his services.
To put things into perspective, Jota has certainly outgrown the Championship and Aston Villa have every reason to look at him as someone who could possibly add a bit more creativity to their midfield and forward line.
An elegant left-footed attacker with plenty of flair and trickery on the ball, the 27-year-old can be deceptive with his sharpness, agility and clever changes of direction, whilst also possessing the ability to exploit the half-spaces and create chances with his slick passing.
Essentially a right-winger by trade, Jota is also capable of playing out wide on the left and through the centre in a playmaking role behind the striker. Noted for his accurate crossing and brilliance from set-pieces, the Spaniard is more than capable of bringing in that X-factor and sense of unpredictability to any attack.
Aston Villa have already made a massive statement of intent by releasing the highly experienced Albert Adomah and the veteran’s departure has left the Lions short of cover in the wide areas.
With the likes of Jack Grealish and John McGinn in the ranks, Villa have enough quality in their midfield but someone like Jota could provide cover in multiple areas of the pitch, whilst also increasing competition for places.
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The Spaniard doesn’t have any prior experience of playing in the top-flight but he might play a key role in Villa’s Premier League campaign next season if he manages to get to grips with the style of play prevalent in the upper echelons of English football.