Villa made their second purchase of the January transfer window, and their purchase of the veteran striker Robbie Keane – more than a decade after he was first linked with a switch to Villa Park – has had the fans talking. Aston Villa blogger Matthew Turvey looks at the pros and cons of the loan signing.

Villa announced on Thursday that the loan signing of Robbie Keane had finally gone through, starting off a relatively short period that the player will spend with the club.

At a two month loan length, Robbie Keane’s involvement in Villa’s success this year is likely to be limited.

The issue for Villa is that should he be successful, the loan will soon be over.

On the flip side, some fans are questioning the value of paying £500k for a player for 2 months.

The rationality of the latter argument is more to do with the fact that it is common knowledge that Villa have to cut the wage bill.

By that logic, it appears to certain fans that spending half a million pounds on a player is contradictory.

The reality though is that half a million pounds in Villa’s context is a small amount, combined with the fact that it is a one off deal.

It isn’t like Keane has been signed to a five year deal taking him past his mid-30s, it is a quick solution to an issue Villa currently have, which is having experienced strikers who score.

If there is to be any criticism of Keane’s loan, it is that it comes too late in his career.

Considering that Villa were linked to him originally when the club was managed by John Gregory, the tug-of-war between Keane and the club has been going on for more than a decade.

Keane may not be as sprightly as he once was when he was a goal scoring sensation for Wolves, but his football brain does counter balance any pace or fitness he may have lost in the intervening period.

Keane, on his day, is an asset to any team. Looking at his statistics for recent clubs he has played at, his record has been around one in two.

Considering that Darren Bent has a similar rate, and is often lauded for his prolific scoring talents, Keane should provide a suitable alternative, even if he doesn’t end up playing in the same team as Bent.

The question that Villa fans will be asking is how Keane’s involvement will turn out.

For example, does the short term nature of Keane’s deal mean that he is pressured to start games regardless of his form, or can he afford to sit on the bench.

At a reported £65k per week, Keane would be placed in the top earners, and thus should be in or around the first XI immediately.

Given he has been playing for LA Galaxy in recent months, at least Keane comes to the club fully fit. So, to that end, I would expect him to be on the bench at least.

Will he provide enough to get directly in to the starting XI though? On the basis of the contribution of certain players such as Bent, he certainly offers more in terms of workrate.

Will he turn that workrate into goals though? That is the question that Villa fans really want to know, and that time will invariably answer.

You can follow Matt Turvey’s regular opinions at his own site, Aston Villa Life via http://www.astonvillalife.com or via his Twitter account @astonvillalife.