Aston Villa have not given up hope of signing Cardiff City's Neil Etheridge, according to the Express & Star.

The Bluebirds are determined to hold onto the 29-year-old and have previously rejected offers.

Villa have been in search for a new keeper for much of the summer, and have been linked with England's Jack Butland as well as Burnley's Tom Heaton.

Those two targets would be considerably more difficult to sign - Stoke are demanding £23m for Butland whilst Heaton is Burnley's number one and a very important player for them.

The club may, therefore, have to pursue Etheridge, who should be available for a more affordable sum - although it will take more than the £8m offered last month.

Cardiff have added to their goalkeeping options this summer with the arrival of Joe Day, and with the experienced Alex Smithies at the club they have players to cover for Etheridge, should they decide to sell.

The Verdict

Etheridge has been instrumental for the Bluebirds in the last two years, and it was largely thanks to his performances last season that Cardiff came close to survival, so it is no surprise to see Premier League interest in him still.

He has improved so much since joining the club and he is now a commanding presence who would be missed by the Cardiff backline, not just for his shot-stopping but his for organisation and the encouragement he gives to others.

If Cardiff manage to keep him they will have retained most of the defence which got them promoted in 2018, and therefore they are ideally placed to challenge once again.