Villa are eyeing Manchester United starlet Ben Foster as a potential answer to their goalkeeping problems.
With Arsenal veteran Jens Lehmann poised to sign for Stuttgart, boss Martin O’Neill is still scouring the market and has a number of targets.
Foster is being assessed with a view to a season-long loan swoop, in the same way Villa used Liverpool’s Scott Carson this campaign.
The 24-year-old is looking to get some regular first team action again having recovered from a cruciate knee ligament operation.
A move for Foster would bring the Leamington Spa-born keeper back to his West Midlands roots.
But sources say Villa don’t know whether United will allow the brilliant young keeper to leave Old Trafford.
Current first choice Edwin Van der Sar is 37 and won’t go on much longer, and Foster is expected to rival former keeper Tomasz Kuszczak for the No 1 spot soon.
Foster has made 93 League appearances, but only one for United since his £1m move from Stoke in July ,2005. But he showed his potential to be one of the best keepers in the country with a string of sterling displays for Watford, where he has made 73 League appearances and in two loan spells before his injury, while he has one full cap for England.
O’Neill wants to sign two goalkeepers this summer having released Thomas Sorensen and seen Carson return to Anfield.
His only other senior keeper is Stuart Taylor, who has a year left on his contract and has never looked like dislodging either Sorensen or Carson in his three years at the club.
The Villa boss wants to make another move for £2m-rated Chivas USA shotstopper Brad Guzan, but wants another, more experienced figure who knows the Premier League.
Carson, who got married in his native Cumbria last weekend, is anxious to have his future sorted out.
“I’ve played football for the last two seasons and I don’t think I will be content with sitting on the bench for a season,” he said recently.
“Hopefully something can be sorted in the next couple of weeks, then I know where I’m going to be.”
3 Comments
Man Utd may view Villa as a serious threat next season and so may not want to loan them such a decent keeper…. they loaned him to watford who were no threat to Utd - and so maybe the Albion are a more realistic choice ??
With Kuszczak also at the club it makes sense for Foster to be loaned - he would be a great asset to us.
Happy: Villa, a serious threat to Man U? We are a more serious threat to them than the Seals!! Please don’t give those idiots ammunition!!
Otherwise I agree re: Foster. Might be nice to have Kuszczak back too.
foster or kuszczak would be nice to add to our squad go get one of them jp,,,PLAYING IN THE PREM THE MOWBRAY WAY,,IN STYLE OF COURSE,,OOOOOOOOOH YES