'Big ambitions at Villa Park' - Journalist now makes promising transfer claim involving Gerrard

Steven Gerrard ‘will be asking’ Aston Villa to sign ‘at least one of’ Noni Madueke and Allan Saint-Maximin, sports journalist Pete O’Rourke says.

talkSPORT recently claimed that Gerrard had personally scouted Madueke during PSV Eindhoven’s goalless draw with Leicester City at The King Power Stadium in the Europa Conference League.

The 20-year-old Englishman, a product of the Crystal Palace and Tottenham Hotspur youth systems, is valued at £16.2million by Transfermarkt.

Meanwhile, The Daily Mail reported earlier this month that Villa were keeping tabs on Saint-Maximin ahead of the summer transfer window, with Newcastle apparently ready to listen to offers in the £50 million range.

Both players are left wingers, meaning they could be considered potential replacements for Leon Bailey.

Indeed, transfer insider Dean Jones has predicted that the Jamaican will move on in the summer, just a year after arriving at the club.

O’Rourke says that Steven Gerrard will urge the club to bankroll the prospective moves if the players are part of his vision.

The 41-year-old will expect backing as he looks to fulfil his lofty goals at Aston Villa, he told GiveMeSport.

“They have got big ambitions at Villa Park, spending on the likes of Lucas Digne and Philippe Coutinho,” he said.

“So, if Steven Gerrard sees either of those players in his plans, he will be asking the club to maybe push forward and try and bring at least one of those players to Villa Park.”

Villa furnished Gerrard with three new outfield players in January – £27 million Digne, Coutinho (on loan) and Calum Chambers (free transfer).

But they still find themselves down in 15th in the Premier League, and so if they’re to achieve the manager’s stated goal of competing for Europe,