Aston Villa Opinion: Why Joe Lolley would be a terrific signing for Aston Villa

According to a report from the Birmingham Mail, Aston Villa are plotting a £10m summer swoop for Nottingham Forest star, Joe Lolley.

Aston Villa have been tracking Joe Lolley for some time, with Dean Smith a big fan of the Nottingham Forest man. The 26-year-old was Forest’s star man over the past campaign – claiming 11 assists and scoring 11 goals in the Championship.

The report claim Crystal Palace are also interested in the wide-man, but Aston Villa must do everything in their powers to beat the Eagles for Lolley’s signature.

Aston Villa are preparing for life in the Premier League after achieving promotion along with the likes of Norwich City and Sheffield United. The Villans defeated Derby County 2-1 in the Championship playoff final at Wembley earlier this week, thus earning an estimated £170m following promotion. Dean Smith is likely to be given a substantial amount of cash to strengthen his squad.

Smith must quickly bring in the players that would suit his style of play at Villa Park, as the Birmingham-based club will be looking to make an instant impact back in the Premier League. Joe Lolley would be a smart fit at Villa Park, the player who grew up supporting Aston Villa.

Lolley had an influential season for Nottingham Forest as he played a large role in their top-half finish. He is wanted by Villa and Palace which should make it difficult for Forest to keep hold of the winger. The English playmaker played as a left winger for most parts of the campaign, but he is equally adept at playing on the right or down the middle as a secondary striker.

The 26-year-old’s biggest asset is his speed and dribbling skills, and he has troubled quite a few defenders in the Championship. However, he will come up against better defenders in the Premier League and it would be interesting to see whether he would be able to produce the results then.

Lolley barely featured in the Premier League for Huddersfield Town; so a move to Villa gives him the perfect opportunity to show his real worth.

Verdict

At 26, Lolley will be entering the prime years of his career and Smith can expect him to hit the ground running in the Premier League straight away.

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The chance to play for his boyhood club in the Premier League is something of a dream for Lolley, and the skilful forward should not reject a move if Villa come calling.