Aston Villa looking to take pressure off Jack Grealish in transfer market

The boss does not believe his squad requires major surgery, as Villa look to build on this season’s mid-table finish and make a sustained challenge for Europe next term.

Instead the focus will be on making two or three quality additions, with a particular focus on reducing the dependence on Grealish.

The skipper’s absence for 12 matches due to a shin injury is considered the biggest factor in their slide during the second half of the season, with Villa creating fewer big chances.

Smith said: “I don’t believe we have to do that much in the market this summer.

“With Jack coming out of the team we have lacked a little bit of creativity and that is something that we need to improve on.

“But you look at the whole of the season: Emi Martinez has come in and done brilliantly, Matt Targett has improved no end, Tyrone Mings, Ezri Konsa has improved, Matt Cash has done brilliantly, Ollie Watkins, John McGinn, Douglas Luiz, Bertrand Traore.

“Anwar El Ghazi has got nine goals, Bertrand has got six, Jack the same. We’ve got a really good team but because the stand-out has been that our creativity has dropped off probably since New Year, that’s something we need to improve.”

Villa head into tonight’s match at Tottenham and Sunday’s clash with Chelsea looking for a result to lift the mood after a frustrating run of form which has left them destined for a likely 11th-placed finish.

For much of the season their sights were set somewhat higher but while Smith understands the disappointment among supporters at the recent downturn, he insists the bigger picture remains one of significant progression compared to a year ago, when it required a remarkable run for Villa to escape relegation.

“We will finish up probably where we deserve to finish,” he said. “Certainly on expected goals we have not moved from the position we have been in all season and we will probably end up there at the end.

“We have always been around ninth, 10th, 11th on expected goals through the season. It has always probably looked a little better. We were in a position where we had games in hand over the teams above us.

“But we always knew those games in hand have been Manchester City, Tottenham and Everton, so they were never gimmes.

“We feel there has been great progression as a team and a squad this season.

“It is very rare a team goes from staying up on the last day of the season to challenging for Champions League places.

“While our ambitions are still to be there and we have been disappointed with the last 16 to 17 games, we certainly note that progression.”

Smith is aware Villa’s early-season promise has seen expectations rise but he added: “That is something I am not looking to dampen.

“Those ambitions are our ambitions. We knew it would be tough to compete for Europe this season but I think we have been up and around there probably until the last five or six games, which shows a massive progression.

“We are disappointed we have dropped off but that has coincided with Jack coming out of the team and he has been our biggest chance creator in the last few years.

“You are always looking to get momentum. The one thing I can’t criticism my players for is their attitude and their effort this season.”