Birmingham City join Aston Villa in chase for Tykes ace Marc Roberts
Aston Villa could face competition from rivals Blues should they choose to pursue their interest in Barnsley defender Marc Roberts this summer.
The Tykes skipper is among a number of centre-backs on Villa’s list of targets as boss Steve Bruce looks to add reinforcements ahead of next season.
Reports have now claimed Blues counterpart Harry Redknapp is lining up a move for Roberts, who has also been linked with Albion.
The 26-year-old has only 12 months remaining on his contract at Oakwell and suitors hope he can be prised away in a cut-price deal.
Villa have meanwhile appointed a new director in the shape of owner Tony Xia’s assistant Rongtian He. Documents confirming the appointment were filed with Companies House earlier this week.
He, who like Xia hails from the Guangdong province of China, originally joined the club as a social media officer in 2013 but was promoted to become the chairman’s executive assistant last year.
