Aston Villa are reportedly ready to raid new manager Steven Gerrard’s former club, Rangers, for the signing of defender Nathan Patterson.
According to a report from 90min, newly-appointed Aston Villa manager, Steven Gerrard, could be set to further upset fans of his ex-club Rangers as he eyes a January swoop for Nathan Patterson.
Gerrard was named the new manager at Villa Park following the sacking of Dean Smith earlier this month. The Liverpool legend has angered the Gers’ fans with the manner of his exit from Ibrox, after having led the club to a historic league title triumph last season. He could now face further fury from the Light Blues’ supporters as he looks to raid his old squad to bolster his new team.
A move for Rangers’ midfield mainstay Glen Kamara has already been mooted. Now, Aston Villa are also eyeing a swoop for young defender Nathan Patterson in the upcoming winter transfer window.
Patterson came through the youth ranks at Rangers and was handed his senior debut at the club by Gerrard himself in January last year. Since then, the 20-year-old right-back has featured 22 times for the first team, scoring two goals and setting up one more.
While regular starts are hard to come by, thanks to the presence of captain James Tavernier, Patterson has managed to make a solid impression whenever given a chance. This has led to an interest in his services from English shores, with Manchester United linked, while there have been reports of Bayern Munich, Atletico Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain also watching him.
Now, Aston Villa, too, have emerged as a suitor for the 20-year-old, who has been capped six times by the Scotland national team already. As things stand, the Midlands outfit have Matty Cash as their only recognised right-back in the squad. While Axel Tuanzebe can play in the position, he is only on loan from Manchester United and will return to Old Trafford at the end of the season.
Ashley Young is another player who can play at right-back, but he is 36 years old and will see his contract run out at the end of the season. So, a move for a young right-sided full-back to compete with and challenge Cash for the starting berth would make sense for the Villans, making Patterson a viable transfer target.
What remains to be seen is whether Aston Villa launch an offer to secure the Scotsman’s services come January or decide to focus on other areas in the squad.
