Tyrone Mings would be a good addition for Man United (Getty Images)
According to reports from Express and Star, Aston Villa have opened talks with Bournemouth to negotiate a permanent deal for defender Tyron Mings, who has made a positive impact at Villa Park since his arrival on loan from the south coast in January.
The Express and Star claims that Villa manager Dean Smith is impressed with Mings’ performances at the club and he is keen to keep the 26-year-old beyond the end of the current campaign.
The same report adds that Mings is open to a permanent move to Villa Park after struggling for playtime at Bournemouth, although Eddie Howe had previously suggested that he would be willing to have the defender back at the end of the campaign. (h/t Express and Star)
Aston Villa were struggling in their pursuit of a promotion playoff place in the Championship when Mings arrived on loan and the 26-year-old former Ipswich man went on to play a pivotal role in the Lions’s march to the finals of the playoffs.
Susceptibility at the back was one of Villa’s major problems under Steve Bruce and Dean Smith earlier in the campaign but the acquisition of Mings has changed the whole complexion of the team.
As a matter of fact, Villa have conceded only 13 goals in 17 games (playoffs included) since the arrival of Tyrone Mings, managing 8 clean sheets in the process.
Those figures are a massive upgrade on their defensive numbers earlier in the season, considering that the Lions shipped 50 goals in 31 games prior to his arrival.
Suffice to say, Mings has proven himself to be the missing link in Villa’s backline and it should be a no-brainer for the Lions to make his stay permanent.
That, however, could depend on whether they manage to secure promotion to the Premier League at the expense of Derby County in the playoff finals after overcoming Midlands rivals West Brom on penalties in the semi-finals.
Mings, who joined Bournemouth in the Premier League from Ipswich Town back in the summer of 2015, has struggled for regular minutes under Eddie Howe. The 26-year-old versatile defender has only managed 23 appearances for the Cherries in all competitions over the course of three years.
It looks unlikely that he would get much of a look in next season should he return to his parent club, particularly with the Cherries signing Chris Mepham from Brentford back in January and Eddie Howe also showing an inclination to use youngster Jack Simpson at the back.
Undoubtedly, a player of Mings’ calibre definitely deserves to play a lot more at the highest level and a permanent move to Villa Park would be a win-win situation for all parties involved.
While Bournemouth have turned a blind eye to Mings’ talent, Villa could possibly benefit from having him in their ranks next season, irrespective of where they play their football.
Plus, Mings is more than capable of playing a big role in the Premier League, so Villa should have no hesitations in making his stay permanent.
In James Chester, Villa have an experienced Premier League-quality centre-back but Man United loanee Axel Tuanzebe is unlikely to stick around for another season. However, Wolves loanee Kortney Hause is another defender who might be easier to keep on a permanent basis.
A fast, agile and powerful centre-back with super-quick reactions and anticipation, Mings is very strong in the air and is more than capable of outmuscling the opposition with his physicality, while also possessing decent game reading ability and positional sense.
His passing and crossing are comparable to that of a specialist full-back and that is exactly the reason why Mings has also been used as a left-back to good effect.
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Hence, it is not difficult to see why Aston Villa would bag a massive coup by striking a permanent deal for the Bournemouth loanee this summer. The Cherries might not let him go on the cheap but the Lions do have the financial muscle to pull this off.