Dean Smith will have a good idea of what his side now needs this season after managing his first three games in charge of Aston Villa.

A Villa fan since being a kid, he'll care just as much as the rest of the supporters about the direction the club is heading in right now.

Certainly, there is potential with the squad given some of the talent on the payroll but, at the same time, things do need to be improved to get them back in the big-time.

He'll already have an idea of what he wants to get from the January window, then, and, according to the Mirror, Sheffield Wednesday midfielder Barry Bannan appears on his wishlist.

Certainly, he'd be a top signing to bring in to the club with him one of the best in the Championship at what he does - making teams play.

With this potential deal in mind, then, we're looking at three impacts that such an arrival would have on the club...

First of all, on a playing basis, it's clear why Smith wants someone like Barry Bannan.

The former Brentford man is a big believer in possession-based football and we saw that to great effect at Griffin Park.

To employ such an approach, you need a conductor in the middle of the park and, clearly, Bannan is one of the best in the league at that.

Suddenly, if Villa sign Bannan, other players surely sit up and take note.

Of course, any footballer worth their salt would consider a proposal from a club like Villa but if they see Bannan going they are surely tempted to join a side that clearly means business.

Equally, the big names at the club are only going to be pleased with the ambition shown.

Getting the fanbase united once more has to be something that Villa need to do.

Bringing in Smith to replace Steve Bruce has gone some way to get that happening already but they want to see results and top players playing for their club.

Sign someone like Bannan in the January window and there'll be street parties around B6.