Aston Villa should look to make a move for Brentford midfielder Romaine Sawyers to replace Jack Grealish.

That's the opinion of respected EFL pundit David Prutton, who spoke to the Express and identified the former Walsall attacking midfielder as the ideal signing should Villa decide to cash in on the highly rated Grealish.

“With Sawyers - I’ve always enjoyed watching him. At Walsall he was a player that could make things happen. At Brentford the system they play suits him and he’s a bigger fish in that pond. At Villa it would be a real test. Prutton said.

“He’s got the ability, after that it’s about being able to cope with the demands a Villa crowd would put on him. Any new player that comes in will instantly get compared with what’s gone before.

Prutton was speaking in regards to any potential sale of Grealish, although with the young midfielder signing a new contract in the summer, Villa would no doubt demand a huge fee from the likes of Spurs, who were the frontrunner for his signature in the summer.

However, despite Grealish's talent, Prutton believes Sawyers would be a more than adequate replacement, especially under Smith.

“If they played in a way that got the best out of him - as Dean did at Brentford - then for the price he would probably command I don’t think he’d be a risky punt.”

Sawyers has worked with Smith twice in his career, and a move might well make sense if he can be guaranteed game time at Villa Park.

The verdict

Sawyers is a class act, but whether he is in the class of Grealish is another matter.

However, Smith is bound to go and get some of his old players at some point, and he has always had Sawyers in his first XI whenever he has had any success.

Grealish is good though, and while Sawyers himself is a talent, I'm not sure Villa fans would see this as an ideal swap!