Aston Villa have been linked with a number of players in the January transfer window following the appointment of former Liverpool midfielder turned football manager, Steven Gerrard, but there is one player linked to the club that seems like a pointless venture.

What's the story?

Atletico Madrid defender, Kieran Trippier, has been recently linked to a move back into the Premier League after joining the La Liga club from Tottenham Hotspur in 2019, with a number of clubs on a long list of potential takers, including Aston Villa.

Journalist, Luke Hatfield, told GIVEMESPORT that the transfer was "unlikely" when asked about his thoughts on the transfer rumour:

"He's a player that's going to be on pretty substantial wages, not to say that Villa can't afford to pay them, they can.

"But do they really need to spend a fair bit of money to get him in and pay his wages for a player who's not going to be starting week in week out."

A pointless signing for Villa

Matty Cash is already playing in Trippier's position at right-back for Aston Villa and is doing a great job so far, in both defensive play, where he has won more tackles than any other Premier League player so far this season, and in attacking play offering 45 crosses into the box, putting him in the top ten crossers in the league this season too.

Trippier has done well since he made the move to Atletico in 2019, especially after winning La Liga last season with the Spanish club, but he now appears to be ready for a new challenge with a return to an English club.

The 31-year-old was dubbed a "warrior" by England manager, Gareth Southgate, but that doesn't mean they should sign him.

Judging by the all-round output of Cash and his statistics in the Premier League this season, the idea of signing Trippier seems absolutely pointless, even if they were to play him on the other side at left-back. As a result, it could be Gerrard's first howler as Aston Villa manager if he did push for the signing of the £77k-per-week defender.

If Trippier was available on a free, willing to lower his wages and rotate on the bench, then it would make sense for Villa to pursue the 31-year-old. However, he is likely to go to a club that are willing to offer a similar wage and to play first-team football, so it doesn't seem viable to stump 24-year-old Cash's progress by overpaying for an older player.

Gerrard will be looking to identify key players that can improve the already high-quality first team at Villa Park, and an area that needs the most attention is the midfield with injuries thinning the squad in the centre of the side and speculation continues to build on whether Villa will make signings in the winter transfer window.

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