Sherwood eyes new audacious double swoop

According to a report in today's Sun, Tim Sherwood has his eyes on two new targets for Villa Park - former Leicester midfielder Esteban Cambiasso, and Blackburn striker Rudy Gestede. Recent sales have netted Villa in the region of £40 million, and despite the big-money signings of Idrissa Gueye and Jordan Amavi, Sherwood still has a significant amount of transfer funds to spend. Villa is also closing in on the signing of Lorient striker Jorden Ayew, with reports today suggesting a bid has been accepted, and the player is on his way to Birmingham tonight to discuss personal terms.

Esteban Cambiasso, one of the players mentioned by the Sun, was an integral part of Leicester's survival last season. Completing the great escape so emphatically that they were already safe on the last day, Cambiasso was the unquestionable leader of the team, and similar to Delph and Benteke, Leicester would be in the Championship right now if it weren't for Cambiasso. Not only is he an extremely reliable and consistent contributor in the midfield, Cambiasso's most distinctive value comes in the form of experience and leadership - the type of player that Tim Sherwood desperately needs in order to act as a mentor for all the young players who have already been brought in. Following the departures of Ron Vlaar and Shay Given, there isn't really a true veteran in Villa's ranks capable of leading (unless you think Charles N'Zogbia will have a moment of epiphany this offseason), something Sherwood won't mind, but something that needs to be fixed nonetheless. Especially on a free, Cambiasso would be Tim Sherwood's most intelligent move of the transfer window.

Rudy Gestede, on the other hand, is a striker for Championship outfit Blackburn, and scored over 20 goals in all competitions last season. Gestede has been linked with Watford in previous days, but Tim Sherwood looks keen on hijacking the move with a bid in the region of £6 million. If the Ayew transaction is completed and Gestede or Adebayor also joins, Villa should have a more than capable striker corps heading into next season.

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