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Danny Drinkwater is undergoing a medical at Bodymoor Heath, with the move showcasing just how hard it is to make a move in January.
Words: Regan Foy | @findfoy
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Danny Drinkwater, a former Premier League winner with Leicester City, is currently at Bodymoor Heath undergoing a medical according to a range of trusted sources.
The Chelsea midfielder has spent the first half of the season at Turf Moor, on loan at Burnley, where Dyche’s staff have been working with the £40,000,000 man on his fitness.
With only 59 minutes of football under his belt this season, and six league starts across two and a half seasons – it’s clear to see that Drinkwater needs to get his career back on track. But it was thought that a loan to Burnley would do just that.
Aston Villa’s movement for the Manchester United academy product showcases just how tough the January market is to navigate, but it also means that Dean Smith’s pursuit of ‘number one target’ Olivier Giroud has proven to be unfruitful.
It also rules out any potential moves for Michy Batshuayi and Pedro – both of whom have been linked since early December, as only one player from a fellow Premier League club can be loaned.
Initial demands from Chelsea were that Aston Villa would pay the full amount of Drinkwater’s £110,000 a week contract during his half-season loan, which would have seen the midfielder earn over two-and-a-half million before tax – but it has been revealed that these demands were dropped. Aston Villa will pay less than his wages at Chelsea, but the exact figure is not known.
Danny Drinkwater has also reportedly offered his assurances to the staff at Aston Villa that he is keen to revive his career and that he will work “as hard as possible to help the club.”
2019 was mired with issues for Drinkwater, who received a 20-month driving ban for drink driving in an event that saw him crash his Range Rover into a wall in Cheshire, as well as a fight or “attack” outside of a Manchester nightclub after an alleged dispute with a League Two footballer which resulted in ligament damage for Danny.
The move seems risky, and may not sit well with some – but the availability of players with the requisite ‘Premier League experience’ is going to be low this January – especially with how tight the table is.
Get behind the player and see what happens. Fans did the same with Tyrone Mings, and look how well that went.
