Aston Villa forward Keinan Davis has emerged as a transfer target for Norwich City, with Dean Smith reportedly keen on a reunion with his former ward.
According to a report from Football Insider, Norwich City are lining up a January swoop for Aston Villa striker Keinan Davis as new manager Dean Smith is looking to bolster his attacking options.
Davis spent time at the youth setup of Stevenage FC and had a very short stint with non-league club Biggleswade Town before he signed for Aston Villa in 2015. Having progressed gradually through the ranks, he made his first-team debut for the Midlands club in 2017, under then manager Steve Bruce.
Since then, Davis has racked up 86 appearances for Aston Villa, with most of those coming as a substitute. In the process, he has managed a paltry tally of six goals and seven assists. The 23-year-old has missed a good chunk of the current season due to injury, making just one appearance so far.
With Aston Villa having Ollie Watkins and Danny Ings ahead of him in the pecking order, Davis is unlikely to play all that regularly under new boss Steven Gerrard. And, his former mentor, Dean Smith, is now hoping to capitalise on the situation by luring him to Carrow Road in the January transfer window.
Smith has shown a lot of faith in Davis previously despite the striker’s struggles. The ex-Aston Villa boss played a key role in the 23-year-old signing a new long-term contract last year at Villa Park. And his presence at Norwich could enable the Canaries to pry the English forward away from the Villans in a little over a month.
Norwich have been overreliant on Teemu Pukki for goals as usual, with summer signing Josh Sargent struggling to get to grips with Premier League football. At the same time, Adam Idah lacks experience at this level. So, as per the report, Smith is looking to sign a striker with some experience and exposure in the English top-flight and sees Davis as a cost-effective option.
It is further stated that Norwich could sign the 23-year-old for a fee as low as £2-4 million. If they cannot reach an agreement with Aston Villa over a transfer fee, the Canaries could also explore the possibility of a loan move. It now remains to be seen if Davis gets to reunite with Smith come the winter transfer window.