Steve Bruce keen on permanent deals for Aston Villa loanees if promotion secured
Steve Bruce will target permanent deals for Villa’s loan stars as his top priority should they win promotion to the Premier League.
Villa face Fulham at Wembley on Saturday in the Championship play-off final, aiming to secure a return to the top flight.
Promotion would see Bruce’s budget for next season increased considerably and allow him to pursue deals for Sam Johnstone, Robert Snodgrass and Lewis Grabban, who have all starred as loanees at Villa this term.
Manchester United Goalkeeper Johnstone kept 22 clean sheets, with winger Snodgrass finishing joint top of the Championship assist charts after joining from West Ham last August.
Striker Grabban, meanwhile, has netted eight goals in just 15 appearances since joining from Bournemouth in January.
Bruce has acknowledged it will be difficult to keep seal any permanent agreements should Villa fail to reach the Premier League.
Victory at Wembley would also extend skipper John Terry’s deal for another season. Alan Hutton, whose contract is due to expire, is now expected to be offered new terms regardless of which division Villa are playing in.
Bruce said: “It is fairly evident we are going to have go up to keep the loan players, otherwise it will be a struggle to hang onto them.
“I have to say we have the makings of a very decent squad. The loan players add to that. The first thing we want to do is secure them. I would love to secure them all if we can.”
Villa are continuing to assess the fitness of full-back Ahmed Elmohamady after the Egyptian missed last week’s play-off semi-final second leg against Middlesbrough with a hamstring injury.
James Bree is again expected to deputise should Elmohamady again be unavailable at Wembley, though Neil Taylor is back in contention after recovering from his own hamstring issue.
