Aston Villa signing this impressive 22-year-old relegated star would be a smart move by Dean Smith

Why Todd Cantwell could be a smashing signing for Aston Villa

According to The Telegraph (h/t Birmingham Live), Aston Villa have been linked with a move for Norwich City star Todd Cantwell in the summer window. Villa have been linked with Canaries playmaker Emiliano Buendia for quite a while. But the report adds that the Midlands outfit also hold an interest in Cantwell. (The Sun h/t Birmingham Live)

Dean Smith is keeping his options open in the transfer market amid continued speculation surrounding the future of Jack Grealish, who has been courted by the likes of Man City and Man United.

Cantwell impressed over the course of his debut campaign in the Premier League last term, despite Norwich finishing rock-bottom of the table and suffering relegation back down to the Championship. 

Profile

Born in Dereham, Todd Cantwell rose through the youth ranks at Norwich City before making his first-team debut for the Canaries in an FA Cup tie against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge back in January 2018. 

The 22-year-old was loaned out to Dutch second-tier outfit Fortuna Sittard to enhance his development. He went on to make 24 appearances during Norwich’s triumphant 2018-19 Championship campaign under Daniel Farke.

The England U-21 international featured more prominently for the Canaries in the Premier League last season, scoring 6 goals and registering 2 assists in 37 appearances.

Villa’s attacking woes

Aston Villa preserved their Premier League status by the slimmest of margins, thanks to Jack Grealish’s heroics against West Ham on the final day of the campaign. The Villans finished 17th in the standings, just a point clear of Bournemouth and Watford in the drop zone.

Dean Smith’s side scored only 41 goals while conceding as many as 67 in 38 league games last season. Those numbers clearly epitomise the need for improvement at both ends of the pitch in the upcoming campaign and it’s hardly a surprise to see Villa linked with some new attacking players.

Grealish, of course, was a standout performer with 8 goals and 6 assists. But the other attacking players just didn’t do enough to support their captain. 

The wide attacking duo of Trezeguet (6 goals, 1 assist) and Anwar El Ghazi (4 goals, 4 assists) rose to the occasion in a few games while centre-forward Wesley Moraes’ season was cut short after scoring just 6 goals in 21 appearances.

Why Cantwell could be the answer

Suffice to say, Villa need more goals next season if they are to stay afloat in the Premier League, and raiding relegated Norwich for Todd Cantwell would be a smart idea. 

The 22-year-old scored 6 goals and assisted a couple in 37 league outings for the Canaries last term, returns which are really good when you consider that he was playing his first season in the top-flight and featured for a side with the worst scoring record in the division (26).

Cantwell looks more than capable enough of competing with the likes of El Ghazi and Trezeguet for a regular starting role out wide at Villa Park, with Jota very much a marginalised figure at the club. 

The youngster boasts the versatility to play on either side of the attack and also through the middle in a central attacking role behind the striker. So that should hand a significant boost to Smith’s squad dynamics. 

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Verdict

Todd Cantwell still has a contract at Carrow Road until the summer of 2022, meaning Aston Villa will need to work hard to get a deal over the line for the versatile attacker this summer. However, the 22-year-old still has his best years ahead of him, so he can well be worth a significant outlay in the market as far as the Villans are concerned.