“As far as I’m aware…”: Preece drops huge AVFC transfer update, Gerrard will be gutted - opinion

Journalist Ashley Preece has provided a worrying update regarding Aston Villa’s search for a new midfielder…

In a Q and A for Birmingham Mail, the Villa correspondent has suggested that the Midlands side are unlikely to make moves for West Ham United giant Tomas Soucek or Chelsea youngster, Conor Gallagher, despite having previously been linked with the pair.

Asked about potential deals for the two men, Preece stated: “Soucek/Gallagher not on Villa’s radar as far as I’m aware, both important players for West Ham and Chelsea.”

Previous reports had suggested that manager Steven Gerrard is a ‘massive fan’ of Gallagher, while the belief had been that the Villa Park outfit could look to exploit the doubts regarding Soucek’s future in east London.

The former Rangers boss will no doubt be gutted that the club are not set to pursue two players of ready-made, Premier League quality, with sporting director Johan Lange seemingly set to turn his attention elsewhere to land a new midfield recruit.

The club have already brought in highly-rated Marseille man Boubacar Kamara – whom Preece tipped to be the “signing of the summer” following his recent pre-season debut against Leeds United – although the belief is that Gerrard is keen on further reinforcements in the centre of the park.

The former European champions have also seemingly lost out on another reported midfield target in the current window in the form of Yves Bissouma, with the 25-year-old having opted to join Antonio Conte’s Tottenham Hotspur in a £25m deal.

With the aforementioned Kamara potentially set to take time to adjust to life in England, the club could well have benefitted from bringing in a player already in the division, with seemingly few better targets than that