Aston Villa’s heavy recruitment after promotion to the Premier League this summer was always going to have negative repercussions for some players. Birkir Bjarnason was one such player. The Icelandic international was released last week after an inconsistent spell at Villa Park.
With first-team opportunities likely to be sparse under Dean Smith, it was considered best for the player and club if his contract was terminated.
Bjarnason struggled to get regular playing time after the appointment of Smith and played just 16 minutes of football after January in the Championship last term.
His release will, however, have plenty of teams on notice. In particular, one of his former clubs.
Italian outfit Pescara sold Bjarnason to FC Basel in 2015. It was the second time he had left the club. Bjarnason originally joined Pescara on loan from Standard Liege in 2012. He joined Sampdoria in a co-ownership deal in 2013 but spent just one season in Genoa before returning.
Now it seems he could be set for a third stint at the Stadio Adriatico. As reported by several Italian sources, including FootballNews24, the Dolphins are looking into the possibility of bringing Bjarnason back to Italy this summer in what is described as a ‘dream’ signing.
They have some concerns over injury trouble the 31-year-old has suffered at Aston Villa, where groin trouble has been an issue.
However, the Serie B side are still looking into a potential deal for the free agent.