Aston Villa boss Steven Gerrard has been told to consider astute Chelsea and Spurs signings ahead of January transfer window.
Three wins and two defeats in the Liverpool-born manager's rein so far is not bad going for a Villa side who were in freefall under now Norwich boss Dean Smith.
Taking into account that the two losses came against Premier League title fodder in the form of Liverpool and Man City and the fact that both losses were by a one goal margin, there's certainly reason to feel optimistic if your allegiances lie with the claret and blue side of the second city.
No wonder that the Villans already want to reward the Liverpool legend for his great work so for in the Midlands with a mini transfer kitty for the upcoming January transfer window and it seems one area in particular will be the main focus.
With Gerrard opting to play three midfielders instead of the usual two that Smith used to play when he was at the helm, Villa's squad depth in that particular area is being tested already.
When Gerrard made his homecoming to Liverpool in the 1-0 away loss at the weekend, the 41-year-old started all of; John McGinn, Douglas Luiz and Marvelous Nakamba with Morgan Sanson the only other option on the bench.
It's clear to see why midfield could be the area of focus for Christian Purslow in Gerrard's first transfer window as a manager in England.
And two midfielder's from Chelsea and Spurs have been touted as possible options for the hierarchy at Villa Park to consider ahead of potential transfer swoops for respective targets.
Aston Villa icon Ray Houghton outlined the two names to bettingexpert: "It depends what you want them for. If they want a deep lying midfielder, then you would go with Harry Winks. If you are looking for an offensive midfielder, you certainly should be looking at Ross Barkley, who knows the club, as he has been there on a loan spell.”
“I think, with Steven, what we mustn’t forget either is that he was at Rangers for a few years, so he has seen a few players up there that he might like as well. Like Glen Kamara, as an example.
"I watched Glen when he played for Finland against the Republic of Ireland, I didn’t know much about him before, and I was impressed by him. He controlled the back four, got the ball down, and was a continuity player. Kept it nice and easy. So Steven knows him. That could be a name there.”
“And then you got Joe Aribo. He’s out of contract, and he’s not going to sign a new one.
“It might not be about the likes of Winks or Barkley. It might be people Steven knows and trusts, and I think with Steven at the minute, his first two or three signings are going to be big. Not just for him, but to set the tone within the club. What the club is about, what he is about, and his identity is.
“This is a time in his career, where he will have to make the big choices, but get it right. It’s going to further him and his team.“
Barkley and Winks are two names that are certainly viewed as surplus to requirements in a sense by Thomas Tuchel and Antonio Conte respectively and this has been shown in their rather meagre game time so far this season - with Barkley racking up 303 minutes compared to Winks' 540.
Leeds alongside the likes of Burnley and Newcastle are known admirers of the Liverpudlian born attacking midfielder whilst Everton and Brighton are known to be interested in securing the signing of the Lilywhites man on loan in the mid-season market.
With options there for both to ponder if Gerrard was to opt for the tried and tested Rangers options, it wouldn't be a big blow if the Aston Villa option was not on the table.
