Dean Smith keen on reunion with talented midfielder McEachran at Aston Villa

Add as preferred source on Google

Aston Villa are keen on a swoop for free agent Josh McEachran this summer, according to a report by the Sun.

The former Chelsea midfielder was most recently at Brentford – where he was managed by Dean Smith – but he is now reportedly out of contract.

That’s apparently got Villa’s hopes up of engineering a deal with the 26-year-old, and they have apparently been keen on McEachran before – back in 2012.

McEachran joined Swansea on loan then but as per the BBC he said, “I spoke to Frank [Lampard] a few times before I came down here – he told me I would love it.

“I had a few options, but I thought Swansea would be the best club for me with their style of play. There were a few other clubs – Aston Villa had a big interest, I think Bolton were there and Wigan.”

McEachran’s name will be familiar to many fans because at one point, he was hyped up as a potential successor to Lampard for Chelsea and England – such was his talent.

It didn’t work out for him at the very top table but there’s no doubting that he remains a very handy player.

If Smith can get a player who can still improve, on a free and someone he knows well from having worked with him – that looks like a decent bit of business in the current market.

And after he snubbed them back in 2012, Villa will be hoping it’s second time lucky this summer.