4. Value signing midfielder/forward.
Importance: Low
Attainability: Fairly Easy
This is where it gets fun.
Dean Smith doesn’t *need* another midfielder, but if he can nab someone he likes on a cheap transfer, why not? Akin to the signing of John McGinn, try and get someone who can contribute in the Championship or Premier League.
Glenn Whelan and Mile Jedinak are out-of-contract in the summer. A defensive midfielder will be a critical addition by next season. Why not get ahead of it?
Birkir Bjarnason and Henri Lansbury are still around, but perhaps they could be moved to fund a younger addition. We saw on Saturday Villa’s reliance on Jack Grealish. Someone to compete with Jack, John, and Conor is nothing but a good thing.
No one should expect Villa to complete the above four tasks – especially given FFP concerns. But a minor shuffling of the squad could see 1-3 players incoming next month.