Sunderland join the race for young Villa star

Sunderland used a late-season charge to save themselves from relegation, and now they're looking to bolster their squad to avoid the same fate next year. One possibility for the Black Cats may be out-of-contract Aston Villa winger Marc Albrighton, who has already been connected to Everton and newly-promoted Leicester City this summer. 

Marc was one of Villa's best players in the final months of the season, and he has indicated his interest in staying with Aston Villa. But thus far no new contract has been agreed upon, and it wouldn't be shocking to see him start looking at offers from other clubs. What does Aston Villa have to offer Marc? Familiarity. What can other clubs offer? Stability. 

And that might be reason enough to leave Birmingham. While Villa are entirely in flux right now, any of the other clubs with which he has been connected are far more stable. Certainly it would be sad to lose a home-grown Villa product, but given the way he has been treated by the club over the years, you could hardly blame him for considering an exit. 

Hopefully Villa come to their senses, though, and offer him a new contract. He is not one of the best players in the league, but he is absolutely an asset on Aston Villa. It would be a shame to see him walk when it wouldn't take much to keep him here.