Later on Tuesday Aston Villa are expected to complete the signing of Wigan Athletic striker Grant Holt on loan.
Not a blockbuster deal you might say, but one they could potentially help turn the Villans season around as Holt will join for the rest of the 2013-14 campaign according to reports from Sky Sports.
Holt, 32, has never settled at Wigan after signing for the Latics last summer to help them get promoted back to the Premier League at the first time of asking. But a season of ups and downs so far, coupled with a managerial change, has hampered Holt’s time at the DW Stadium. Holt is expected to link up with his former boss Paul Lambert, who arguably got the best out of the burly front man when the two worked together to lead Norwich City through the leagues.
Following two successive promotions with the Canaries, from League One to the Championship then up to the Premier League, Holt excelled as the target man for Lambert. He did an exceptional job in his first two seasons in the PL, scoring 15 goals in 2011-12 then eight in an injury-interrupted second season. What you see is what you get with Holt and that no-nonsense approach is exactly what the Birmingham club needs right now.
With Christian Benteke coming back into form and Gabriel Agbonlahor having a fine season, Villa needed extra depth up front and Holt with give them that. He will harass opposition defenders into making mistakes and if Benteke and Agbonlahor are up their with him, expect them to pick up plenty of half chances to finish off.
Holt performed well at Norwich and was only surplus to requirements when Lambert left the Canaries to manage Villa. New Norwich boss Chris Hughton wasn’t exactly Holt’s biggest fan as his minutes dwindled and he cut a frustrated figure at Carrow Road.
The journeyman striker from Northumbria looks likely to add one more stop to his long list of clubs. More significantly, it’s another chance to show what he can do in the Premier League. I expect him to grab it with both hands. A shrewd move from Villa.
