Peter Crouch once more sees his name linked with a move to Aston Villa. The former Villa striker played well in limited Premier League action last season. Is Crouch one to solve the club’s non-Jonathan Kodjia scoring woes.
From The Sun, Aston Villa want Stoke City striker Peter Crouch.
This is not the first time Peter Crouch’s name was linked with Aston Villa. A few months ago reports came out that Steve Bruce was considering a move for the 6’7″ forward.
However, Dr. Tony Xia has since shut down this new rumor: Who exactly knows if this is fact or fiction.
It's just a rumor to fill the newspaper space...
— Dr. Tony Xia (@Dr_TonyXia) July 9, 2017
Anyways, Crouch is what he is: A target-forward. The Stoke man owns the all-time Premier League headed goals record with 50. This past spring, he became the Premier League’s newest member of the 100-goal club; the oldest of which ever to achieve the feat.
Crouch made 27 appearances in the P.L. for Stoke this past season. 13 from the start and 14 from the bench. Despite the limited minutes, Crouch still managed seven goals with a further two assists (also 6.3 aerials won per match!).
Crouch turned 36 in January and is as seasoned as they come. He’s seemingly played for half the teams in the Premier League, including Aston Villa from 2002-2004. The list includes: QPR, Portsmouth, Aston Villa, Norwich City, Southampton, Liverpool, Tottenham, and Stoke City.
He’s a former England international with 22 goals to his name in 42 caps, a really good record.
Peter Crouch, on paper, is a great addition to nearly any club in England. He’s perfectly content with appearing from the bench. Whether it’s chasing a narrow 2-1 deficit or holding onto a 1-0 lead, Crouch’s aerial ability and positional sense provides innate value.
Next: Aston Villa nearing move for Elmohamady
Verdict:
I can’t see Aston Villa acquiring Peter Crouch. Stoke City recently sold striker Jon Walters to Burnley – leaving the forward situation a bit more open. Crouch is productive, admires manager Mark Hughes, and has a lot of desire to keep playing football.
Crouch would help Villa greatly, but the forward situation needs axing should they make a move. Kodjia, Hogan, McCormack, Gabby, Hepburn-Murphy, and Davis are a more than sufficient group, even if it lacking a player of Crouch’s skill set.