As the summer transfers begin to hot up, Aston Villa is looking to make moves to bring players to the squad. Cardiff’s goalkeeper Neil Etheridge being high on the target list as bonusbets.com reports today.
Villa had an initial offer for the player of £8M rejected last week, but they are not giving up and are expected to increase their offer in order to secure the player. However, they may well face competition from an unexpected quarter as Liverpool have contacted Cardiff as well to inquire about the availability of the player. What is certain is while the ink is not dry on any deal then rival bidders will continue to emerge.
Dean Smith link
Etheridge is very well known to manager, Dean Smith, as well as to their goalkeeping coach, Neil Cutter, as they were all formerly together at Walsall. The work the pair did with Etheridge being a key factor into him becoming one of the rising goalkeepers of the Premiership.
Liverpool, the recent winners of the Champions League, are looking to secure a new backup goalkeeper to their starter, Alisson Becker. Their two other backup keepers are looking to move away from the club. Cardiff has indicated that they would love to keep the keeper, who also plays internationally for the Philippines. Neil Warnock has been in the game long enough to know that he will have to let him go once the right deal is on the table.
Warnock has indicated that it would take offers in excess of £10M to secure his services., As well as Liverpool, both Fulham and West Ham have are also said to have expressed an interest.
Etheridge had an impressive season from a personal perspective keeping nine clean sheets as Cardiff finished in the relegation zone with just thirty-four points. Villa’s current first-choice goalkeeper is Jed Steer after he was recalled from a loan period with Charlton Athletic.
Daniel Sturridge
Even as Liverpool contest with Villa over Etheridge, rumours suggest that Villa could be interested in a former Red. Daniel Sturridge recently announced that he would be leaving Liverpool.
It would go against what the new board and manager have stated they will be looking at this Summer. Young, hungry and players with a re-sell value. I am unsure if Sturridge would fit in with that.
Sturridge has only started seven games for the Reds being a backup to more prominent names such as Mo Salah, Sadio Mane, and Roberto Firmino. The Birmingham born twenty-nine-year-old has even slipped down below Divock Origi in the pecking order at Anfield.
So Sturridge is on the hunt for a new club, and Chris Sutton thinks that Villa would be a perfect match for the player. “He just needs to play. When he burst on the scene you think about how talented he was; I think his career has been a disappointment in terms of what he could have achieved. He told BBC Radio 5 Live recently.”
