Aston Villa linked to Scottish top talent for free transfer in the summer

Aston Villa has been linked to signing Scottish talent whose contract expires in the summer transfer window.

Aston Villa are still hunting for a top target who can be signed for the lowest signing fee possible or, even better, one who will be a free agent in the summer. In came the Scottish talent who has been tipped as one of the versatile midfielders. The current Glasgow Rangers man, Bailey Rice, has attracted several Premier League sides according to the report from Givemesport. In fact, the Lions have been reportedly already one step ahead of their rivals, Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest.

“Villa are believed to have already held initial talks with Rice’s representatives and presented a pathway designed to accelerate his progression at a senior level.”

Rice’s contract situation

Bailey Rice has been tipped as one of Scotland’s exciting talents. He joined Rangers in 2023 but has only made 16 appearances in all competitions ever since with the first team. The 19-year-old midfielder was promoted to the first team in July 2024. Yet, he has not been able to make a direct contribution yet for the Scottish giant.

However, he suffered a long-term injury which has kept him on the sideline for months. He has yet featured another game after one cameo this season. Such a situation has frustrated Rice and pushed him for a move out this summer.

Due to this circumstance, a number of clubs have been monitoring his prospect of leaving Glasgow. Villa might be one team from the UK which has made contact with his representatives. Yet, they apparently are not the only ones who have done so, as some teams from Europe, also Dutch giants Ajax Amsterdam, VfB Stuttgart and Schalke 04, are said to have entered initial talks with his agent on the deal. It is interesting to see if Aston Villa could finally land him later.

How good is Bailey Rice?

The product of Motherwell FC is a midfielder who can operate in almost all positions on the second line, from number 8 to number 6 or even as a deep-lying playmaker. He is known as a technical player too.

Based on the data in Fotmob, Rice is highly rated for a number of skills. His successful passes reach up to 81.8%; meanwhile, his percentage of accurate long balls is 60%. The Rangers man, who has earned caps in the Scotland national team youth sides in various different ages, has a high rate of winning duels, up to 60.9%, including the aerial duel, which is up to 70%.

Considering his talent yet lack of regular minutes with the senior side would lead to his future should he sign for Villa. Unai Emery’s side will definitely give support to his development. Yet, the question remains on how long he will have to spend before being promoted to the first team.

Will he be integrated soon or have to be loaned out to the other clubs? The likes of Samuel Illing-Junior, Lewis Dobbin and even 20-year-old Serbian international Kosta Nedejlkovic have to go on loan first; this might give a hint of his similar path in Villa Park later.

 

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