Aston Villa Opinion: Lions should offer Jed Steer a new deal irrespective of whether they bring in Jack Butland
According to The Sun, Aston Villa have opened talks with goalkeeper Jed Steer over a new deal, with the 26-year-old’s current contract at Villa Park set to expire in the summer of 2020.
The Sun understands that Villa manager Dean Smith is keen to secure the long-term future of Steer and wants him to compete for the No.1 role next season.
Steer was one of the stars of Villa’s promotion-winning campaign in the Championship this past season, as the 26-year-old kept out two penalties in the shootout victory over Midlands rivals West Brom in semi-finals of the playoffs.
The shot-stopper was initially loaned to out League One outfit Charlton Athletic last summer but injuries to Orjan Nyland and January recruit Lovre Kalinic prompted Dean Smith to recall him from his loan spell.
After replacing Kalinic in the second half against West Brom back in February, Steer started every game for the Lions until the end of the season, as Smith’s side secured promotion back to the Premier League via the playoffs following a three-year exile from the top-flight.
Steer made a total of 19 appearances for Aston Villa, including the playoffs, in the second half of the previous campaign and impressed with 6 clean sheets in the process, whilst conceding only 15 goals.
Hence, it doesn’t require a rocket scientist to figure out that the 26-year-old was one of Villa’s promotion heroes and securing his long-term future certainly makes sense for the club.
A youth product of Norwich City, Steer hardly played for his boyhood club and spent time on loan at Yeovil Town and Cambridge United before earning a move to Aston Villa back in 2013.
He made his debut in the same year but found himself on the club’s loan list in the subsequent campaigns, enduring stints at Doncaster, Huddersfield Town and Charlton, before returning to Villa Park in January this year to assume the No.1 role in the absence of Nyland and Kalinic.
Steer had to wait long and hard for a chance to establish himself as Villa’s No.1, and now that his stocks are on the rise following his heroics in the playoffs, a new contract could possibly do a world of good to his future.
It is pretty clear that Villa are looking to bring in a new No.1 this summer as a part of their overall squad upgrade. While they are probably not looking at Steer as their undisputed first-choice in the Premier League next term, the 26-year-old is expected to compete for his place in the eleven and add much-needed depth to the ranks.
Lovre Kalinic came in with a lot of reputation but the Croatian conceded as many as 8 goals in his first three games for Villa before eventually being sidelined with an injury.
Nyland, on the other hand, is unlikely to be considered for the No.1 role in the Premier League following his long injury absence and shaky displays in the Championship last term.
Aston Villa have been strongly linked with a move for Stoke City and England international shot-stopper Jack Butland and his arrival would solve a lot of problems for the Lions (h/t Birmingham Mail).
Butland is head and shoulders above Steer, both in terms of quality and experience, and the 26-year-old would probably be forced to play second-fiddle should Villa manage to strike a deal for one of their prime targets this summer.
To Read More Aston Villa News, Click Here:- latest Aston Villa News
However, that shouldn’t preclude the club from securing the long-term future of a player who has been one of their standout performers over the past few months.
Steer’s displays in the Championship, as well as in the high-octane playoff outings, were certainly crucial to Villa’s success last season and they should offer him fresh terms, irrespective of what role they have in mind for him in the Premier League next term.
