Aston Villa are one of three Championship clubs keen on signing Brentford's attacking midfielder Romaine Sawyers.

That's according to Sun journalist Alan Nixon, who claims that Middlesbrough and West Brom are also interested in the 27-year-old who only has 18 months left on his deal at Griffin Park.

With that in mind, this might be the last opportunity for the Bees to get a fair price for the ex-Walsall man and he will surely want to move to any of the sides that could win promotion this season.

However, we think that it's critical Villa seal the deal for the playmaker.

An embarrassing defeat to Wigan last time out has left them in 12th position and five points behind the play-off places.

Therefore, they need to pick up results quickly to ensure this campaign is not a write-off - and signing Sawyers will help.

Here we look at TWO reasons why they have to land the player ahead of their rivals...

He is a player Smith knows well

Having worked with him at both Walsall and Brentford, Sawyers is a player that Villa boss Dean Smith knows all about.

From his ability on the pitch to his impact in the dressing room, he understands what the player will bring to Villa Park and how he can fit in.

Signing players in January can often be risky but in this case it would be a safe move from Villa.

They are far too reliant on Jack Grealish now

The setback against the Latics on Saturday was hugely alarming for Villa because there's no getting away from the fact they were woeful.

They were pinned back for large parts of the second half and could barely string a pass together.

Obviously, missing the technically gifted Grealish didn't help but they shouldn't be so reliant on one man.

He is out until February and even so, he can't do it all on his own. Bringing in Sawyers, who plays in a similar style should ensure Villa are able to get better control of games.