Could Aston Villa make a move for Nottingham Forest’s Joe Lolley?

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Aston Villa take on Nottingham Forest’s arch rivals Derby County in the Championship Play-Off Final at Wembley on Bank Holiday Monday (27th May).

There’s no doubt that Reds supporters will be hoping that the Rams fail at the final hurdle yet again. They’ll be hoping that Frank Lampard’s side will be returning to the City Ground next season in the Championship.

Yohan Benalouane’s early strike in the win against the Rams in February under the lights was one of the best moments of the season. It would be a shame to not have the two fixtures to look out for next month.

However, having the East Midlands Derby to look forward to may not be the only reason why Reds supporters want Aston Villa to claim promotion to the Premier League.

According to a report from The Sun in February, the Villans were planning on lining up a big-money move for 26-year-old winger Joe Lolley in the summer.

However, this was largely based on fears that Jack Grealish may leave the club if they failed to win promotion.

Change

It’s fair to say the situation has changed considerably since then. Dean Smith managed to steer his side into the play-offs in the latter stages of the season, whilst Lolley signed a new long-term deal at the City Ground.

Whatever happens at Wembley, it’s difficult to not see Grealish playing in the Premier League next season. He has been one of the division’s standout performers and will not want to have another season playing in the Championship.

For this reason, if Derby do beat Aston Villa, he’s likely to leave Villa Park in the summer. This means that the Villans will be looking for a replacement.

Whether or not Lolley’s new long-term deal will be enough to stop them making a move remains to be seen. The Sun‘s report claimed they would be willing to spend £12 million on the winger.

Martin O’Neill is unlikely to want to see a player who contributed 11 goals and 11 assists last season leave the club.

Although it now seems less likely that the Villans will make a move for Lolley, it would be comforting if they secured promotion. As not only will they have condemned the Rams to more play-off heartbreak, but it would also make Grealish more likely to stay at the club.