Why Sheffield United must sign Aston Villa flop Scott Hogan permanently

According to a report by Sheffield Star, Sheffield United are lining up an ambitious move to sign Aston Villa flop Scott Hogan this summer. The Villans narrowly missed out on securing a promotion to the Premier League last season.

Despite being one of the most consistent performers in the Championship, Steve Bruce’s men fell short to Slavisa Jokanovic’s Fulham as they beat them 1-0 during the playoff final. Aston Villa are also going through financial turmoil, meaning the Blades could exploit the situation and land Hogan.

Hogan has not travelled with Villa for their pre-season games and is recovering from an injury right now. However, his absence from the squad has led to speculation that he could be offloaded this summer.

Now, there have been talks about a potential loan move but given the fact that Aston Villa are going through a financial crisis, it would be better for them to sell him permanently. After all, he has failed to establish himself in Bruce’s starting XI and it does not make sense for them to hold onto him.

Moving to a new club would certainly help him revive his career. And given the circumstances, he could be a great fit for Chris Wilder’s squad. The Blades must work towards securing a playoff spot next season but to do so, they must bolster their forces to a great extent.

And a move for Hogan could prove to be exactly what they need. One might argue that his performances for Villa have been far from encouraging. However, his displays with Brentford are evidence enough to suggest that Hogan is capable of great things.

The player joined Villa from Brentford in January 2017 and since then, he has scored 10 goals in 54 appearances. But prior to joining the Villans, Hogan scored 21 goals in 36 appearances for Brentford. A manager of Wilder’s calibre could most certainly help Hogan rediscover his form, provided he manages to stay fit.

He has quite an injury record with the Bees as well, meaning Sheffield must be a tad wary about his fitness if they do sign him.

Last season, Sheffield had a brilliant strike-force partnership between Leon Clarke and Billy Sharp. The duo supplied 30 goals collectively but it goes without saying that they are in dire need of reinforcements in the ongoing transfer window.

The likes of James Wilson and Clayton Donaldson have departed from the club, meaning there will be spots to fill. Hence, Villa must definitely sanction a sale for Hogan since he could regain his form at Bramall Lane. Meanwhile, the funds generated from the deal will benefit the Midlands outfit.