Acclimatising to Championship football proved a difficult task for Aston Villa, despite the club investing millions of pounds into a vast array of new talents.

Steve Bruce will enter the new season under some pressure, and Chinese chairman Tony Xia will surely expect the former Hull City boss to inspire his side to a strong start to the new campaign.

Villa fans will feel that their club should be back in the big time of the Premier League, and will hope for a top six finish as a minimum expectation for next season, as will chairman Xia.

Villa are but a couple of solid signings away from launching a promotion bid next season after building a strong squad over the course of the last two transfer windows, and this summer must be the window in which Bruce perfects his side.

Midfield will be a key battling ground for Villa’s title hopes, and Steve Bruce should look to this pairing in the middle to ensure a sustained push for promotion next year.

CM: Mile Jedinak

32-year-old Mile Jedinak was Villa’s star performer last season following his move from Crystal Palace, and the experienced Australian is key to Villa’s promotion hopes next season.

It was a shock to see Palace allow the player to leave last summer, having been such an important cog in the Eagles’ Premier League side, but their loss was certainly Villa’s gain.

Jedinak has the unrivalled ability to control games from the middle, and his composure on the ball is vital in the Villains' play.

Breaking up opposition attacks is central to Jedinak’s play, and the player acts as a springboard to Villa’s own forays forward.

Jedinak has at least another year at the top of the Championship ahead of him, and will be one of the first names on the team-sheet at Villa Park next season.

CM: Charlie Adam

Villa added Nottingham Forest’s Henri Lansbury to their squad in January, and the former Arsenal player made 17 starts across the second half of the season.

However, the potential availability of Stoke City’s Charlie Adam this summer may turn Bruce’s head, as the addition of the experienced Scottish international to his side would seriously improve the quality of the squad.

Adam has played in the Premier League since 2009, and has amassed 49 goals during his time in the top flight.

The former Rangers man still possesses the ability to compete in the Premier League, and Stoke may yet decide to extend the player’s contract.

If this does not materialise, however, a move to Villa could be on the cards, and Steve Bruce would boast the most experienced midfield duo in the second tier with Adam and Jedinak in the middle of the park.

With Lansbury and Conor Hourihane also in the squad, Villa’s midfield will be formidable.