Aston Villa continue to be linked with an interest in Emiliano Buendia, Milot Rashica and Tammy Abraham ahead of the summer transfer window.
Dean Smith will be delighted with the progress we made this past season as we jumped up six places to finish 11th and improved in almost every area.
READ MORE: Five key talking points as Aston Villa wrap season up with win over Chelsea
However, he’ll know that will only mean expectations and demands will rise, and so the hierarchy will no doubt be looking to back him in the transfer market and try to strengthen the current squad where possible.
Buendia interest, possible Norwich exit
One name that continues to be linked with us is that of Norwich City’s Buendia, who enjoyed a stellar campaign this past year as he fired the Canaries back into the Premier League.
Despite that seemingly being a big enough reason to stay at Carrow Road, The Athletic report that the expectation is that the Argentine will leave Norwich this summer and that both Arsenal and Villa are keen on him.
It’s added that it will likely take a bid of over £40m to prise him away, and so it remains to be seen if Villa are prepared to spend big on bringing Buendia to Birmingham.
The 24-year-old scored 15 goals and provided 17 assists in 41 games last season, and he could very well be an ideal addition to form a dangerous attack alongside Jack Grealish and Ollie Watkins.
Villa keen on Rashica
Another option in that department could be Werder Bremen’s Rashica, with Calciomercato noting that Villa have already expressed their interest in the winger.
He will be available for €16m after Bremen’s relegation, but it’s suggested that a number of Italian clubs could yet be interested in taking him to Serie A this summer so we may face stiff competition for his signature.
The 24-year-old, who prefers to play on the left wing, scored just three goals and provided five assists in 26 outings this past season.
Abraham responds as Villa fans chant his name
Although it’s been some time since his loan spell with us came to an end, there is no doubt that Villa fans still hold Chelsea striker Abraham in high regard.
Having fired us back to the Premier League, he played an important role in how we got to where we are now, and the Villa faithful haven’t forgotten that as they chanted his name during Sunday’s win over Chelsea.
As seen below, Abraham acknowledged it on Twitter, and so it remains to be seen if the out-of-favour forward could be tempted by a return if he continues to struggle to make a breakthrough with Thomas Tuchel.
It’s unclear if Villa hold a genuine interest in re-signing him, as with Ollie Watkins leading the line so brilliantly this season, it doesn’t necessarily appear to be a priority this summer.
@AVFCOfficial fans, I appreciate you guys! thank you ❤️ & all the best in the future. pic.twitter.com/or135FZlxE
— Tammy Abraham (@tammyabraham) May 23, 2021