Aston Villa could target Brentford pair during January transfer window

Aston Villa Football Club manager Dean Smith could target a pair of players from his former place of employment. Midfielder Romaine Sawyers and left-back Rico Henry are but two names rumored in recent days.

Dean Smith has affection for many of his former players.

That affection could manifest itself into transfer moves when the January window opens-up in less than three weeks’ time. Midfielder Romaine Sawyers is thought to be a key addition for Smith as a midfield already rich in talent looks to get richer. The 27-year-old Sawyers (who happens to be a St. Kitts and Nevis international), has 18 months remaining on his contract and could be a value signing.

With the Bees floundering, he might just want to reunite with his former manager at a promotion-contending club.

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Unlike central midfield, left-back has been an issue for Aston Villa for, well, quite a long time. 21-year-old Rico Henry, a Birmingham-born defender, is attracting interest from the club as well.

A deputy to Yoann Barbet, Henry has just 247 minutes of EFL Championship play so far this season. That could change if he arrived at Villa, however, as the club is sorely short on left-sided defenders.

What Henry would lack as a well-known name, he’d make-up for in overall fit.

He doesn’t turn 22 until July 2019 and is already vastly experienced at such a young age. He is closing on 100 professional games in the EFL Championship and League One combined – with several stints at the England U19 and England U20 levels. He was named to the England squad for the 2017 U20 FIFA World Cup, but had to withdraw through injury.

With a bright future ahead of him, Villa could rely on Neil Taylor while possessing the short-term insurance Henry offers as a better left-back option over Alan Hutton.

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