Aston Villa fans have been faced with the prospect of signing Harry Arter this month. The Republic of Ireland international is currently at Cardiff City on a season-long loan, however, The Irish Independent has claimed that Bournemouth are close to cancelling that loan deal amid interest from Aston Villa and Watford.
Harry Arter’s loan spell at Cardiff may be cut short. Aston Villa have expressed an interest in signing him. [irish independent] #avfc
— villareport (@villareport) January 20, 2019
Whilst on the surface, Arter to Aston Villa looks like a promising signing, the Villains don’t want to see the Irishman sign and would much rather go for someone that fits the mould of what they’re trying to achieve as a club. The Bournemouth man is edging close to his thirties, and with Villa Park already home to veteran midfielders, they’d rather bring in some fresher faces.
The midfield options available to Dean Smith at the moment are vast. Conor Hourihane, John McGinn, Jack Grealish, Mile Jedinak, Glenn Whelan and Henri Lansbury are all at the club, even if not all of them are fit at the moment. The priority for the Villains has to their defence, and for that reason, they’re more than happy to lose out on Arter if he does become available in the last nine days of the window.
You can read the Villains’ verdict on Arter here:
Nah he’s 29 doesn’t fit the bill imo
— Tom Cowley (@TomC2312_AVFC) 20 January 2019
God no
— Tim Stevens (@TimmyStevens9) January 20, 2019
Another left footed centre mid? Also too old for the suggested profile of player.
— Scott (@CaptainScott87) January 20, 2019
https://twitter.com/turner295/status/1087114850424246272
That’s not going to happen is it.
— Rangzeb (@rangzebnajib) 20 January 2019
Will never happen
— Harry Stuart (@poodlehead18) 20 January 2019
https://twitter.com/driveitpaddy83/status/1087072480060149761
The Villa Park faithful would much rather pool their resources into more problematic positions than centre-mid, and that’s why they’re happy to miss out on Arter.
