Speaking exclusively to FootballFanCast, former Aston Villa midfielder Lee Hendrie has urged the club to make a summer transfer move for Josh Brownhill.

What's the story?

Reports in recent days and weeks have suggested Dean Smith's side are very much interested in signing the Burnley midfielder, with the club also said to be eyeing Sheffield United's Sander Berge.

When discussing Villa's reported interest in Brownhill in an exclusive interview with FFC, Hendrie said: "Josh Brownhill, I think he is a fabulous player, I really do. Out of (Sander) Berge and him, I'd take Brownhill all day just because Josh Brownhill reminds me of John McGinn.

"He's very energetic, he's very neat and tidy on the ball, he gets up and down the pitch well and you know what you're getting when you're getting a player from Burnley, Sean Dyche, what he expects. And, obviously, he's proved that he can do this step up, coming from Bristol City, so I'd certainly take him all day."

Lange's priority

Valued at £26m by CIES, Brownhill has enjoyed an impressive debut campaign at Premier League level with Burnley this season - he has been a permanent fixture in Dyche's starting line-up, playing 24 times in the top-flight.

As Hendrie noted, the midfielder's energetic style of play sees him be an effective presence at both ends of the pitch, with his average of one shot per game in the Premier League only slightly below McGinn's 1.1.

Crucially however, Brownhill outshines Villa's Scotland international considerably when it comes to making a defensive impact, no doubt thanks to Dyche's work on ensuring Burnley remain a solid outfit.

As per Whoscored, the 25-year-old averages an impresive 2.5 interceptions per game in the top flight, which actually ranks him as the joint-highest among all players in the division.

Not only that, he also wins 1.4 tackles per match, and both those key defensive metrics are far superior to McGinn's measly 0.7 and 1.2 respectively.

That box-to-box presence and combination of offensive threat and defensive stability surely makes him a perfect midfield signing for Smith, and as Hendrie says, he should be someone who Villa really look to sign this summer.

Meanwhile, Villa must make a move for this Championship sensation this summer...