Villa linked with possible Ayew replacement?

Aston Villa have been linked with a Championship striker, and he could be a replacement for Jordan Ayew.

It has been reported in a couple of places this week that Aston Villa, alongside Newcastle United and Norwich City are in the running for Fulham striker Ross McCormack.

McCormack, who signed for fellow Championship side Fulham in a mouthwatering £11M deal two summers ago has set the division alight since joining the London club, scoring 38 goals in two seasons. Of course, with that kind of goalscoring output, the Scot would fit right in to a Villa side that was the lowest scoring in the league this past season.

The stumbling block may well be the price tag however. Eyebrows were raised when Fulham spent so much signing McCormack from Leeds, but a £12M release clause in his contract made it a worthwhile deal, providing he played well enough to attract attention from elsewhere. And seeing how all three relegated sides are supposedly interested, the gamble seems to have paid off for Fulham.

£12 million is steep, but if Aston Villa's new owner opens the checkbook as has been reported, then money shouldn't be an issue. At 29, McCormack isn't a long term investment, but his goal scoring record in this division absolutely would make this a worthwhile move for Villa.

As for how McCormack might fit in to an Aston Villa side, he tends to be somewhat mobile, and isn't afraid to shoot from distance, scoring six from outside the box last season. Not the biggest striker at 5"8, it would be interesting to see how well he'd do playing off of Rudy Gestede. The only downside that I can see, is that he plays in a similar manner to Jordan Ayew, albeit with less flair. If these rumours come to fruition, it would pave the way for Ayew to move to a bigger club, which would be a massive shame.

The rumour seemed to originate from the Daily Mail of all places, so I'll end by saying that we shouldn't put too much stock in this rumour. It seems a bit convenient that all three relegated sides are in the running for the same player, in my opinion. Of course, of the three, Villa are the side in which McCormack would appear to fit in the best (shut up, Norwich), so I am hopeful that if the Scotsman fancies a change of scenery, he might be tempted to make B6 his home.