Alan Hutton: Aston Villa should look to add quality over quantity in final week of window
We’re delighted to welcome former Aston Villa full-back Alan Hutton as our exclusive columnist. Each week he’ll be giving his views on the biggest talking points at Villa Park…
Aston Villa have not enjoyed the start to the 2022-23 season that they were hoping for and they have less than one week to fix things.
The summer transfer window is going to slam shut at 11pm on 1 September and Steven Gerrard will want to have welcomed at least one new player through the doors at Bodymoor before then.
The Villans may need to find a replacement for Bertrand Traore who has left the Midlands to join Istanbul Basaksehir in Turkey on a season-long loan.
The Burkina Faso international may not have been a regular but his presence on the bench provided good cover for the wide areas and Gerrard has now lost that comfort blanket.
Despite the poor start and possible desperation that could creep in, though, Alan Hutton wants his former side to focus on finding quality to add to the squad rather than any old player in a blind panic.
“I think the way this season is going so far, it’s not been ideal,” Hutton said exclusively to Villa News. “Yes, Steven Gerrard is back in the transfer market and will he be happy at this moment in time? Probably not.
“It’s not quite all put together and defensively they haven’t been great so if there is someone that comes in, it’s not just about numbers but it’s about quality.
“If they can bring somebody in that is going to enhance the first team then I think they should look to do that.”
There are other players who could leave before Thursday but they might have to do so first before a new recruit can be signed.
In other Aston Villa news, Hutton likes seeing Gerrard take the Carabao Cup seriously having watched the Villans win 4-1 away at Bolton Wanderers.