Why Brentford should move for Aston Villa starlet Andre Green
According to the Richmond and Twickenham Times, EFL Championship promotion-hopefuls, Brentford, are mulling over a move for Aston Villa winger Andre Green, who is currently out on loan at Preston North End.
The 21-year-old winger was farmed out to Preston on a season-long loan deal this past summer with hope for regular first-team football but Green is yet to start a single game for Alex Neil’s side in the Championship so far.
Green spent the first half of the previous campaign on loan at Portsmouth in League One, where he scored 5 goals in 12 appearances before being recalled by Dean Smith midway through the season.
The academy graduate thereafter made 21 appearances towards the back end of the 2018-19 season as Villa secured promotion to the Premier League via the Championship Playoffs. Green, though, was once again deemed surplus to requirements after the club’s massive squad overhaul this past summer, with Preston offering him a temporary escape route.
However, things haven’t really gone according to the script for Green, who has only made four substitute appearances in the Championship for the high-flying Lilywhites, and the 21-year-old’s situation under Alex Neil looks unlikely to change in the coming months.
As per the report, Aston Villa are now exploring the possibility of recalling him from his loan spell in January, with a view to cashing in on the talented youngster to avoid losing him for free at the end of the season, and Brentford have emerged as one of the potential suitors.
The Bess, however, will need to beat off competition from German side Stuttgart, Eredivisie outfit Utrecht and Belgian club Zulte Waregem in their pursuit of Andre Green, who is nearing the last six months of his contract at Villa Park. (h/t Richmond and Twickenham Times)
Brentford are not really short of wide attacking options but Green has been identified as someone who could add a bit more depth to the club’s attacking cavalry heading into the second half of the campaign.
Said Benrahma (3 goals, 5 assists) and Bryan Mbeumo (8 goals, 4 assists) have complemented top-scorer Ollie Watkins to good effect in Thomas Frank’s preferred 4-3-3 system, but Brentford do not have too much quality depth beyond their regular wide attacking options.
Sergi Canos is yet to be given a return date since rupturing his Achilles back in October while Emiliano Marcondes is currently out on loan at FC Midtjylland in Denmark. Plus, with summer recruit, Joel Valencia, also struggling to make a big impact at Griffin Park, Brentford can certainly do with another versatile wide player like Green in their ranks.
Verdict
The highly-rated Solihull-born winger, who has represented England at the U-20 level, is capable of playing on either side of the forward line and he certainly looks like an affordable option who could well provide some valuable cover for the Bees in the days to come.
Playing a bit-part role at Villa Park hasn’t really allowed him to express his talent but Green continues to be fine young player with plenty of potential, and a move to Brentford could see him make strides towards fulfilling his potential with more regular minutes.
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All in all, Andre Green to Brentford in January on a cut-price deal looks like a move that could pay off handsomely for all parties involved.
