Kevin Campbell says Villa signing Suarez could be ‘smart’

Aston Villa aren’t short of strikers with Danny Ings, Ollie Watkins, Cameron Archer and Keinan Davis on the books, but Watkins has an uncertain future due to his inconsistency and happiness, Archer may not be a first-team regular next season and Davis is expected to leave permanently after falling down the pecking order, so Steven Gerrard may need replacements.

One player he’s been linked with is Luis Suarez – a former teammate at Liverpool. Gerrard’s connections certainly helped him sign Philippe Coutinho on loan from Barcelona in January and might improve Villa’s chances of luring Suarez from Atletico Madrid this summer. Kevin Campbell believes the ‘elite level’ player would be a ‘smart piece of business’.

He told Football Insider: “That could be a really good, smart piece of business. Suarez is someone who can show people the way. Having someone else with that elite level experience will be so valuable. Suarez coming in could push (players) to the next level.” The 35-year-old joined Atleti on a two-year deal from Barcelona in 2020 and has gone on to make 74 appearances in all competitions, scoring 32 goals with six assists.

Suarez is out of contract this summer and looks set to leave, but it remains to be seen if Villa can win the race for his signature. The Uruguayan international, who’s bagged 67 goals in 130 games for his country, may want to aim higher than the Midlands outfit as he sees out his career. Time will tell.

In other news, Kevin Phillips says Matt Targett was treated unfairly by Steven Gerrard