Matej Vydra (Getty Images)
According to LancsLive, Burnley turned down an offer from Aston Villa for striker Matej Vydra in the January transfer window.
Speaking to Sport Witness (h/t LancsLive), Vydra’s agent revealed that Burnley were short of striking options and that’s why they turned down several offers for the player. Rangers were also interested in him on deadline day, as per the report.
Vydra, 27, joined the Italian side Udinese Calcio in the summer of 2010 and was sent on several loan spells before joining Watford permanently in 2015. In 95 appearances for the Hornets, he scored 38 goals. He was influential in the club’s promotion back to the top flight in the 2014/15 season, where he scored 16 goals.
He then played for Derby County before moving to Burnley in the summer of 2018. Since then, he has been on the decline, scoring just 2 goals in 26 appearances for the Clarets.
The Czech Republic international has fallen down the pecking order under Sean Dyche this season. He has featured in only 6 Premier League games and despite Ashley Barnes’ injury, the likes of Chris Wood and Jay Rodriguez are preferred ahead of him.
Meanwhile, Aston Villa, who are struggling to secure their Premier League status, made 12 new signings last summer. With just 7 wins in 25 games, Dean Smith’s side are currently 17th in the league table, one point ahead of relegation-threatened Bournemouth.
The injury to Wesley Moraes put them in a bad state without an in-form striker. Jonathan Kodija was traded to Qatar, leaving the manager with Keinan Davies available at his disposal. The Englishman has featured in only seven league games and hasn’t lived up to the expectations.
As a result, Villa signed Mbwana Samatta and Borja Baston last month. The Tanzanian has been in scintillating form, finding the back of the net 11 times in 30 games prior to his move to Villa Park. He also scored on his Aston Villa debut last weekend, making him the first Tanzanian to score in England’s top-flight games.
With the addition of Baston, the Villans have strengthened their attacking options. The Spaniard scored 6 goals for Swansea before signing for Aston Villa this season.
Therefore, signing Vydra would have made no sense. They would have wasted their resources for a player who is out of form and hasn’t played for the majority of the season.
With enough players in their squad, the onus is on the manager to bring about a change in their fortunes. And when Wesley returns, Villa would have a full-strength squad.
Therefore, Villa have dodged a bullet by getting their bid turned down.
