Aston Villa’s move for Middlesbrough striker Jordan Rhodes is being held up because of the player’s wages, according to the Daily Star.
Rhodes is out-of-favour at Middlesbrough and has made only six Premier League appearances so far this season. Aston Villa are looking to win promotion to the Premier League and Rhodes, already proven at Championship level, could be a vital asset.
Aston Villa boss Steve Bruce initially hoped that Rhodes’ move could be included with striker Rudy Gestede’s move in the opposite direction, but this failed to materialise. It is believed that Villa then went in for Rhodes on loan, but Middlesbrough would prefer a permanent deal.
The £12 million price tag plus the striker’s £50k-a-week wages mean that the transfer would be too expensive for Aston Villa. However talks are ongoing between the clubs. It is believed that Villa will bid for Rhodes on loan again if a permanent transfer cannot be sorted out this month.
Rhodes has an impressive scoring record in the Championship, with 92 goals in just 189 games whilst playing for Blackburn Rovers, Middlesbrough and briefly Ipswich and Huddersfield Town.
Middlesbrough signed Rhodes in January 2016 from Blackburn for a fee of around £9 million and scored six goals in 18 Championship games last season.
If Aston Villa and Middlesbrough can agree a deal for Rhodes, Villa will get a proven Championship goalscorer with lots of experience. However, Hull City and Sheffield Wednesday are also reportedly interested in the striker.
[interaction id=”58728b702c94162c23640b9d”]
