Aston Villa are interested in a deal to bring Borna Sosa to Villa Park in the January transfer window.

What's the talk?

According to reports from Germany (via the Express & Star), Steven Gerrard is keeping a very close eye on the situation of the VfB Stuttgart left-back ahead of a potential move during the winter market, as the 41-year-old manager is keen to bring in a top-class addition to challenge Matt Targett for his starting spot in the position.

The report goes on to state that the 23-year-old would likely be available for a fee of around £25m, and, while Gerrard is also thought to be considering an £8m move for Rangers defender Borna Barisic, Sosa is believed to be Villa's favoured option due to his potential resale value.

Lange must act

Considering just how impressive Sosa has been for Stuttgart this season, in addition to the fact that Gerrard currently lacks a considerable amount of depth at left-back, a deal for the Croatia international would appear to be a very wise piece of business for Johan Lange to get over the line in the January transfer window.

Indeed, over his 12 Bundesliga appearances this term, the £14.4m-rated man has already registered three assists and created three big chances for his teammates, as well as making an average of 1.9 key passes, 2.4 crosses and 1.4 long balls per game.

These returns have seen the £15k-per-week defender average a SofaScore match rating of 7.05, ranking him as Pellegrino Matarazzo's third-best performer in the top flight of German football.

Furthermore, the 23-year-old has also received extremely high praise for his style of play, with Stuttgart's sporting director, Sven Mislintat, comparing Sosa to a very notable former England captain.

Speaking about the ability of the left-back, Mislintat said: "Borna's said himself that David Beckham is his role model, and I think he has the same qualities. He puts in crosses from every angle: sometimes chipped, sometimes drilled, sometimes flat, sometimes in behind, sometimes to the front post, other times to the back post. His left foot is a real weapon."

As such, considering all of the above, a deal for Sosa would indeed appear to be a very smart move for Lange, as the signing of a player who boasts the talent of the Croatian defender would very much appear to be one Gerrard would love.

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