Aston Villa are reportedly eyeing a move for Chelsea midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, who could be made available just months after his £30 million transfer from Leicester City.
The 26-year-old joined the Blues in the summer, reuniting with his former Leicester boss, Enzo Maresca.
However, his time at Stamford Bridge has been far from smooth. Dewsbury-Hall has found himself stuck behind Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo, and Romeo Lavia in Chelsea’s midfield hierarchy, with limited opportunities to make an impact.
Football Insider claims that Aston Villa are among a host of clubs monitoring the situation and could make a move for the midfielder in the January transfer window.
Chelsea are reportedly open to letting him leave, either through a loan or permanent deal, but would prefer to recoup the £30 million they paid for his services.
Dewsbury-Hall was a key figure in Leicester City’s promotion-winning campaign last season, scoring 12 goals and providing 15 assists in 49 appearances across all competitions.
Many believed the Shepshed-born playmaker was on the cusp of an England call-up before his move to Chelsea, where his lack of playing time has stalled his progress.
Despite his strong Europa Conference League displays, he is yet to start a Premier League game this term.
Speaking about Dewsbury-Hall’s struggles, Maresca acknowledged the challenges his former star has faced in adapting to life at a big club:
“I completely understand how difficult things are at the moment for Kiernan. He was the main player at Leicester under me. Then he joins Chelsea and just becomes one of the players and is not playing from the start, so you struggle a bit at the beginning.”
A potential switch to Villa could provide Dewsbury-Hall with the opportunity to revitalise his Premier League career.
With the Villans enjoying a strong campaign under Unai Emery, he could find himself partnering former Leicester teammate Youri Tielemans in midfield, offering him the platform to rediscover his best form.