Aston Villa transfer chiefs should notice Steven Gerrard's subtle hint

Aston Villa head coach Steven Gerrard admits he wants "more forward options" in his squad as the summer transfer window approaches.

Villa could be one of the busier clubs in the summer market with Gerrard keen to improve his team ahead of an important Premier League campaign. It is expected that the club are competing for European football, despite Gerrard insisting that his side are currently some way off the teams currently occupying the division's top seven positions.

This summer Villa will target a new holding midfielder and a defensive reinforcements to bolster Gerrard's squad and a striker could also be on his wish list. Ollie Watkins and Danny Ings have both struggled for form this season and have scored just 13 goals between them so far.

Ings joined Villa for over £25million last summer from Southampton and has scored just five times in the Premier League. England international Watkins is the club's top scorer with eight goals, but that is some way short of his impressive 14-goal tally last term.

Arguably, Villa's most in-form striker isn't actually available to Gerrard for the final games of the season. Cameron Archer, who is currently on loan at Preston North End, will return to Bodymoor Heath this summer in time to impress Gerrard in pre-season before the start of the new campaign.

He has netted seven goals in 15 Championship appearances this season after also scoring 10 goals in six games across the EFL Cup and in the Papa John's Trophy for Villa before heading out on loan. Preston boss Ryan Lowe wants to take the striker back to Deepdale next season, but Gerrard will give him the chance to impress before the new season kicks off.

Gerrard said: "I want more forward options in the No.9 position, if you