Villa want Stephens

Sky Sports reported this morning that Premier League team Aston Villa have made a bid for Addicks midfielder Dale Stephens. The twenty-two year old, whom Charlton signed from Oldham last summer, has two years left on his contract at The Valley. He made 30 league starts for The Addicks last season.

My view:

If the money offered is any more than £1million, then take it. Chris Powell has 3 days left in the transfer window to reinvest the money and sign a Championship quality winger. In my opinion, Johnnie Jackson's lack of pace has been 'found out' a little bit in the higher division, but his quality and leadership is still needed on the pitch. If we were to sign a left-sided midfielder, such as Adam Hammill from Wolverhampton Wanderers, whose named has been mentioned on Twitter, then, I believe selling Stephens to Villa would be good business. If however, either the transfer fee is less than £1m, or Powell doesn't feel he has time to sign a satisfactory replacement, then we should do all we can to hold on to Stephens. From Villa's point of view, I think Dale Stephens would really shine in the Premiership. He was prone to getting caught in possession in League One, and it still seems to happen in the Championship. However in the Premier League, with much more time on the ball, his eye for a pass and calmness in possession would really stand out.