Why Aston Villa should look at Kerr Smith as one for the future
According to the Dundee Evening Telegraph (h/t Birmingham Live), Aston Villa are closing in on a deal to sign highly-rated Dundee United teenager Kerr Smith.
As per the report, the Villans have successfully beaten off competition from Premier League rivals Man United and Everton in the race to sign the 16-year-old centre-back. The young defender has flown down south to Birmingham to put pen to paper on professional terms with Dean Smith’s side.
Smith started his career as a midfielder before being transformed into a central defender in Dundee United’s youth system and featured in a pre-season friendly against Villa’s Premier League rivals Sheffield United earlier in the summer.
Meanwhile, Aston Villa bagged yet another major scalp in the summer window with the acquisition of England international midfielder Ross Barkley on loan from Chelsea. Barkley follows the likes of Bertrand Traore, Ollie Watkins, Emiliano Martinez and Matty Cash through the door at Villa Park in what has been a near-perfect transfer window for the Midlands club.
Indeed, Villa have grabbed the headlines on several occasions with some lucrative additions to their first-team this summer. However, much of the club’s business to strengthen their academy setup has gone unnoticed, with several highly-rated starlets also coming through the door to add more quality to the Bodymoor Heath ranks.
The likes of Sil Swinkels, Aaron O’Reilly, and Caolan McBride all signed for the club earlier this month while the arrival of wonderkid Ben Chrisene from Exeter City in August arguably remains Villa’s biggest youth acquisition in recent times. Furthermore, highly sought-after Northampton Town striker Caleb Chukwuemeka has also been linked with a move to Villa Park.
Suffice to say, Aston Villa have made significant strides in revamping their youth academy following their return to the Premier League. Kerr Smith, to that end, could be yet another fantastic addition to the existing pool of burgeoning young talents at the club.
The 16-year-old is yet to make the transition to senior professional football but his talent and potential have led to him being recognised as one of the hottest young prospects in Scottish football.
Smith, of course, still has several stages left in his development before he becomes capable of staking a claim for a place in the first-team but Villa need to look at him as a good long-term investment rather than someone who could make an instant impact.
Swinkels has quickly nailed down a regular starting role at the back in Villa’s U-18 side following his arrival earlier this summer. It will be interesting to see what kind of a development plan the club have in mind for Kerr Smith.
Read more
- Why Aston Villa should keep hold of Wesley Moraes amid interest
- Why Aston Villa should make a move for in-form finisher Odsonne Edouard
Verdict
Aston Villa have shown a lot of financial muscle after returning to the Premier League last year but they will eventually need to start polishing a few gems of their own if they are to consolidate on their status as a top-flight club. Kerr Smith looks like a real talent at this stage of his career and Villa completing a deal for the Scottish sensation could well pay off handsomely for their long-term plans.
