Aston Villa linked to a pair of tough defensive midfielders

Steve Bruce’s search for a complement to Mile Jedinak continues. Monday’s reports suggest Aston Villa are looking at a pair of defensive midfielders – one a veteran, the other just starting his professional career.

The Irish Sun (yeah we know, it’s The Sun) reported Aston Villa is confident in landing Stoke City midfielder Glenn Whelan on a free transfer.

Whelan, 33, is out of contract with Stoke after a ten year stay with The Potters. This move comes about after West Bromwich Albion’s Darren Fletcher is set to switch Premier League sides to Stoke City. With places in midfield harder to come by, Whelan is likely to move away from the club he spent the last decade at.

More from Claret Villans

The Republic of Ireland holds a decent chance at qualifying for the 2018 World Cup; Whelan is hoping for a place in Martin O’Neill’s squad. Therefore, a move to Villa, where he can play fairly regularly, might intrigue him.

The piece suggests a two-year deal, which for a 33-year old normally isn’t recommended. However, Glenn Whelan’s track record of fitness gives this potential deal more respite.

Whelan has eight goals in 338 appearances in all competitions in his Stoke career.

Aston Villa are also looking at a younger option to serve as Mile Jedinak’s understudy. AJ Auxerre defensive midfielder, Abdoulaye Sissako, is linked to a permanent transfer.

Auxerre is a Ligue 2 side in France where Sissako made fourteen first team appearances last season across all competitions. In total Sissako, newly 19, accumulated 916 professional minutes.

In addition to his play in Ligue 2, Sissako is a regular with the France national U-19 team. Since his debut last September, Sissako has eleven appearances with the squad.

Next: Piecing Together the Perfect Aston Villa Summer

The 6’1″ defensive midfielder may be one for the future, but any player talented enough to play for France’s loaded youth teams has to show ability.

Home/Transfer Rumors