da pixbet： Steve Bruce claims that Aston Villa’s new owners have assured him that none of the club’s players are for sale this summer, according to the Birmingham Mail.
What’s the story, then?
da brdice： The Birmingham Mail report that Bruce has had assurances that the likes of James Chester, Jack Grealish and Jonathan Kodjia are no longer for sale as a result of Villa’s improved financial status.
The report says that Chester and Kodjia are very much expected to stay, and Grealish will also remain at Villa Park unless a bid of £25m comes in – Tottenham, Fulham and Crystal Palace are all named as interested parties – and the playmaker declares he wants to go.
Grealish and Kodjia could be as dangerous as anyone in the league
Bruce knows how to get a team out of the Championship and last season, his approach centred around keeping it tight at the back and looking to Grealish, Robert Snodgrass or Albert Adomah for inspiration.
Kodjia’s injury problems saw the Villans bereft of a reliable goalscorer but if he remains fit for the whole season and has Grealish behind him firing the bullets, there is no reason why he cannot bag between 20 and 25 goals.
He could well become the division’s top scorer, and Grealish is now on an upwards curve. If that improvement continues, between five and ten goals is a realistic target, not to mention the assists he could lay on for Kodjia and others.
Losing both of his main attacking threats on the back of Snodgrass returning to West Ham would have seen Bruce face an uphill battle for promotion before a ball was kicked but the new owners have given him hope of building a fruitful attacking duo who could power a second straight top six finish.
[brid autoplay=”true” video=”257600″ player=”12034″ title=”Watch Aston Villa’s opening fixtures for the 201819 Championship season”]