Aston Villa: Sam Gallagher Offers Strike Force Diversity

On-loan Blackburn Rovers target forward Sam Gallagher is the newest player linked to Aston Villa Football Club. Will Southampton release their 21-year old striker for a fee in the region of £3 million?

With the Championship season crawling to a finish, now is the time for Steve Bruce to identify improvements in his 12th-place Villa squad.

Southampton striker Sam Gallagher is the newest name linked with the claret and blue. Unlike previous names mentioned, a move for Gallagher makes sense on a number of levels.

Firstly, Gallagher reportedly comes fairly cheap given the value of his age and potential for improvement. Multiple outlets are saying a figure of £3 million will be enough for his parent club to sell. Moreover, the young English striker offers an element not currently offered by any current Villa forwards – height! (more on this below).

Gallagher’s production this year is a mixed bag of both good and merely average. In 35 league matches (29 starts), Gallagher netted ten goals and one assist in 2,571 minutes of total football.

You may remember him scoring at Villa Park back in November…

Standing at 6’4,” Sam Gallagher could offer Aston Villa a different element to the attack late in matches. Whereas Jonathan Kodjia and Scott Hogan are out-and-out forwards, Gallagher offers a focal point to link passes in the final third.

Imagine now – Jack Grealish playing off of Sam Gallagher late in a 1-1 match.

A Villa strike force of: Jonathan Kodjia, Scott Hogan, Sam Gallagher, Rushian Hepburn-Murphy, Keinan Davis, and Gabby Agbonlahor offers Steve Bruce endless opportunities to compose match strategy. Each striker brings a different element to the club.

Next: Jordan Lyden Is Nearing a Villa Return

If you squint, you can see Rudy Gestede’s reflection in Sam Gallagher’s eyes. This is the type of role he could play for Villa, and Steve Bruce’s inquiry for the club makes clear sense.