Aston Villa are keen on doing a deal for QPR defender Toni Leistner in the summer as Dean Smith looks to strengthen his squad.

The 28-year-old only arrived at Loftus Road at the start of the current campaign, on a free from Union Berlin, however he has quickly made a name for himself in the Championship.

Leistner was appointed as club captain by the R's and Football Insider claim his form has got Villa and Cardiff City interested, with talk of a £5m valuation on the player.

Whilst the German is loved at QPR, the chance to move to Villa must surely be appealing.

Firstly, from the player's perspective, he will be desperate of getting a shot at the Premier League, which may give the Bluebirds an advantage if they stay up.

However, purely comparing Villa to QPR, you have to say the West Midlands side have more chance of winning promotion.

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Given Leistner's age, the chance to move to a club with the size and potential of Villa may not come around again, so he will have to be weighing it up.

They have a squad full of talented players and the new owners have been prepared to splash the cash since coming in, so the signs are positive, even if FFP could be a problem in the future.

Ultimately, even though QPR are a good club and have a lot of talented youngsters, Leistner is at an age where he has to be selfish if he wants the most out of his career - so moving to Villa would be a step up.

Thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.