Report addresses Aston Villa’s previous interest in signing Championship forward | OneFootball

AFC Bournemouth forward, Josh King, was an Aston Villa target back in the summer transfer window. However, Dean Smith’s side moved onto other targets and signed an alternative in the form of Bertrand Traore.

King was relegated with Bournemouth back in the summer, with the Norwegian forward heading into the EFL and eventually missing out on a transfer back into the Premier League.

There was interest, though, with King excelling across a five-year period that saw him score 48 goals for the Cherries in the top-flight.

Quiz: The top 16 AFC Bournemouth record player departures – Which club did they join though?

As per The Athletic, there was interest from Villa in taking King on board as they bolstered Smith’s forward line back in the summer.

However, they eventually settled on signing Traore and King remained with Bournemouth in the Championship.

Now under Jason Tindall, the Cherries are pushing for promotion back to the Premier League and sitting third in the current table.

However, King’s influence isn’t a major factor behind that. He’s made 10 league appearances, but has failed to score a goal or register an assist.

He has, though, scored a brace in the FA Cup this January.

The Verdict

King would have been a good signing for Aston Villa, but for one reason or another, they settled on Traore.

That’s presumably down to his ability to play out wide, with Ollie Watkins signed to play through the middle.

The situation surrounding King is an interesting one. In many ways, it’s a surprise he wasn’t picked up by somebody, but there’s obviously a reason behind it.

The fact he’s a free agent in the summer might be why, so it’s worth keeping an eye on where the 29-year-old ends up in the next two transfer windows.

Thoughts? Let us know!