Aston Villa are lining up a summer move for Milwall defender Jake Cooper, according to a report on Football Insider.
The report claims that Dean Smith is interested in bringing the centre-back to Villa Park, regardless of whether the club are relegated or not.
The Championship defender is understood to be one of Villa’s top targets for the summer as Smith looks to strengthen his defensive options.
The defender, who stands 193cm tall (6ft 4in), was a transfer target for Scottish giants Rangers in 2018 but ended up staying with Milwall.
READ ASTON VILLA TARGET
Prioritising a defender in the upcoming transfer window makes sense. Why? Because Villa currently have the worst defensive record in the Premier League.
Smith’s side have conceded 52 goals in 27 top-flight matches this season, so we believe that identifying potential defensive signings, such as Cooper, is the right thing to do at the moment.
Cooper is reliable at the back, proven by the fact that the 25-year-old has played in 33 of Milwall’s 34 Championship fixtures this season, contributing with one goal and one assist (Transfermarkt).
Additionally, as stated on WhoScored, the Englishman is strong in the air and is very good at blocking shots, which Villa clearly need to do more because they’ve conceded so many goals.
