Alan Hutton. You remember him, right? Scottish guy, given to rough tackles and pretty poor defense? Yeah, that one. Well, if you're having trouble, it's likely because Hutton has been a persona non grata at Aston Villa for nearly two seasons. Over the summer, it appeared as if Hutton would make his loan move to Mallorca permanent, but the defender didn't think that the Spanish side were offering him enough money and the deal broke down.
So Aston Villa have an Alan Hutton with which they are doing nothing. But there is good news! It turns out that a few Premier League clubs may have their eyes on Hutton. According to various reports, most notably this one from Sky, as many as three clubs are looking at bringing in Hutton in the January window: Norwich City, Stoke City, and Fulham. There's nothing official yet, and it's a bit surprising to hear, after a move to Hudderfield Town fell through earlier this month. Nevertheless, Hutton could help all three clubs, who are below Villa on the table right now. At the very least, Hutton adds depth, though the fact that depth-deprived Aston Villa don't even consider using him is a bad sign.
Nevertheless, we'll keep an eye on this. If someone takes Hutton, it's wages off the books, and less chance that his name could pop up in stories we read. It's a win-win. If Norwich really want him, though, I think we ought to use it as a gift to get back in their good graces. "Here, we'll let you have Hutton for free. Now about Hoolahan..."
On a related note: can you imagine how angry you would be if your club unveiled their big January signing and it was Hutton? Dear god.