Pundit names two key transfers Aston Villa 'expected' to complete

Former Aston Villa striker Tony Cascarino thinks his old side will move to sign a midfielder and a centre-back this summer.

Cascarino was speaking after Villa's 1-0 defeat to Arsenal on Saturday, Steven Gerrard 's side slumping to consecutive defeats after a loss to West Ham United the weekend before. Villa have lost the attacking spark that put them on a three-game winning streak before the Arsenal and West Ham matches.

They looked toothless against Arsenal in particular, managing only one shot on target in the entire game. Villa boss Gerrard is looking to the summer transfer window, his first pre-season in charge of the club, to make changes to his squad ahead of a tilt at a finish in the top six next season.

However, he is not writing the final nine games of this campaign off with a strong ending giving Villa momentum ahead of the summer. It will also give Gerrard a glimpse of who is up for a scrap for a place in Europe.

"A team should reflect their manager, but Villa are not a side in Gerrard's image," Cascarino wrote in The Times. "While Gerrard was consistently full of drive as a player, Villa's front three were tame against Arsenal on Saturday.

" Emiliano Buendia drifts in and out of games, Ollie Watkins has dropped off from last season and Philippe Coutinho has delivered intermittently since signing in January. However, this is a trend in all positions. Villa's record under Gerrard - eight wins, two draws and nine losses - epitomises their fluctuating fortunes.

"I expect Gerrard to tackle this issue in the summer and Leeds United's Kalvin Phillips, with whom Villa have been linked, would provide reliability in midfield. They could also use another centre back to put pressure on Tyrone Mings, another player