Norwich City right-back Max Aarons celebrates after scoring. (Getty Images)
According to The Telegraph, Aston Villa are interested in signing Norwich City youngster Max Aarons ahead of the next season.
Aarons, 20, is a product of the Canaries’ youth system. After making 57 appearances for the club’s youth teams, he was promoted to the senior set-up in the summer of 2018. The youngster played a key role in Norwich’s promotion to the top flight in 2018/19 as he contributed with 2 goals and 6 assists in the Championship.
He has gone from strength to strength in the past year and despite the club’s abysmal performances in the top flight, Aarons was impressed in his debut season in the Premier League. His impressive performances also caught the attention of several top clubs including Bayern Munich, as per the report. But Villa making a move for the youngster doesn’t seem to be a wise decision.
Dean Smith’s men secured their top-flight status with a draw against West Ham in the last game of the extended campaign. They haven’t been at their best and thus, the manager needs to bring in reinforcements to key areas and add depth to the squad.
However, while bringing in new faces, they should also make sure that they don’t make a move for a player in a position that doesn’t necessarily need strengthening. To that end, they should avoid going into the transfer market for Norwich’s Aarons.
The Midlands club already have three right-backs in their ranks. Egypt international Ahmed Elmohamady, who is 32, has just one year left on his contract with the club and could depart from Villa Park next season. However, they have two more options in Frederic Guilbert and James Bree.
Frenchman Guilbert featured in 25 games this season despite moving on loan to SM Caen in the second half of the campaign. And Bree, who was sent on loan, excelled with Luton Town and provided 7 assists in 39 Championship games. He is just 22 and can be seen as a future right-back for the Villans.
Thus, making a move for Aarons would not be the best choice for both, the club and the player. He would have to wait for his chances and at this point, Aarons needs to be playing regularly. The youngster would be eventually on the bench and that would be a waste of resources for the club.
With plenty of options at right-back, Villa don’t need Aarons at the moment. Instead, they should look to strengthen other areas where they really lack quality and backup.
