View: Aston Villa facing striker dilemma as new season approaches
Aston Villa had little depth at striker last season, but now they have a serious dilemma as their preseason gets underway.
Steven Gerrard took the decision to loan out both Keinan Davis and Cameron Archer in January, leaving Villa with just two recognised strikers for the second half of the season.
Both players impressed in their respective spells away, but this has left Villa wondering who should stay as their backup striker next season.
Davis was linked with a permanent move to Nottingham Forest earlier this summer, but the Birmingham Mail reported that The Reds signing Taiwo Awoniyi has seen that move shelved.
However, complicating matters further, the club is also understood to be in the market for a new striker this summer to add further competition to the pair.
What is Villa’s best move?
It should go without saying that Villa should not bring in another striker while both Archer and Davis are at the club.
Gerrard preferred playing with a lone striker towards the end of last season and having five players competing for that one spot is a little excessive.
As for the battle between Davis and Archer, both players offer something that Villa lacked last season.
Davis is a very physical player and is great at holding the ball up, but to say he is not a great finisher is an understatement.
His goal against West Brom in April 2021 was his first league goal since scoring against Burton Albion in the Championship four years earlier.
Davis did manage to score five goals during his loan at Forest last season, but this was the first scoring spell of his career.
Archer meanwhile is a lethal finisher, grabbing 17 goals against senior opposition last season, dwarfing Davis’ form at Forest.
With Archer being younger and already clearly the better finisher, the former Preston loanee should be given the berth in Villa’s squad next season.
In other Aston Villa news, Trezeguet has agreed a permanent deal move to Trabzonspor that will be announced imminently.