The race for promotion in the Sky Bet Championship continues to gather pace, with Aston Villa firmly in the hunt to secure a Premier League return.
Steve Bruce’s side have transformed themselves from mid-table strugglers to serious contenders in under a year, with Villa entering this weekend’s international break sitting fourth.
Back-to-back defeats have dented Villa’s automatic promotion hopes in the Championship, leaving Bruce’s side seven points adrift of the top-two with just 24 points left to play for.
Whilst Villa still have a great chance of achieving promotion later in the season, Bruce will be well aware that whatever division his side find themselves in next year, his squad will need to be freshened up.
With that in mind, we take a look at Bruce’s playing squad, identifying a player we believe should be sold in the summer, one that should seek a loan move away from Villa Park and one player we believe Bruce needs to keep…
McCormack is one of a number of players who just doesn’t seem to have a future at Villa Park under Bruce.
The striker has hardly featured under the 57-year-old and spent time earlier this season on-loan with Melbourne City in the Australian league.
McCormack was part of the pool of players brought in following relegation to the Championship, but it hasn’t happened for him and the summer seems like the perfect time for him to cut his ties with the club.
At times this season, Davis has been the leading striker at Villa Park, with the youngster thrown an opportunity due to injuries.
However, Davis’ goal return is hardly impressive, with the 20-year-old scoring just three goals in 30 appearances across all competitions.
A loan away from Villa Park could work wonders for the promising striker.
Grabban has been magnificent since his move to Villa during the January transfer window, with the on-loan forward bagging four goals.
In the summer, whether Villa find themselves in the Premier League or Championship, Bruce needs to be targeting the permanent signing of the AFC Bournemouth forward.