Aston Villa sign Danny Drinkwater on loan for the rest of the season 
Aston Villa have signed Chelsea midfielder Danny Drinkwater on loan for the rest of the season as the club attempts to patch up an injury-hit squad. Drinkwater travelled to Bodymoor Heath on Tuesday morning to undergo a medical and will provide much-needed cover for John McGinn, who is out until March after suffering an ankle injury in the defeat to Southampton.
Villa hope that manager Dean Smith can reinvigorate Drinkwater, who has played only twice, on loan at Burnley, in the past 18 months. Burnley decided against signing Drinkwater for the rest of the season after having him on an initial six-month loan, during which time he was the victim of an attack in a nightclub. Despite his off-field troubles and lack of playing time, Smith is hopeful he can get the best out of 29-year-old Drinkwater to help Villa’s bid to stay in the Premier League.
The signing is not dissimilar to that of Tyrone Mings, who had barely played for Bournemouth before joining Villa on loan last season and inspiring their promotion from the Championship.
Smith wanted to add Premier League know-how to his squad for the second half of the season and Drinkwater provides that, having been a key part of Leicester City’s title success in 2016. Drinkwater is keen to get his career back on track and has given Villa assurances that he will work as hard as possible to help the club. Villa are not paying Drinkwater’s full £110,000-a-week Chelsea wages after the Blues dropped their initial demands to get a deal done for the player they signed for £35 million in 2017. With Drinkwater signed, Villa will push on with their efforts to find a striker to cover the loss of Wesley, who has been ruled out for the rest of the season with a knee injury. Villa had also asked Chelsea about taking either Olivier Giroud or Michy Batshuayi on loan, but the signing of Drinkwater means they cannot take another player from the Blues.
That has forced Villa to start looking at options abroad, with Krzysztof Piatek, who has fallen down the AC Milan pecking order, and Gregoire Defrel, who the Midlands club considered in the summer and has been made available by Sassuolo, two potential options.
Crystal Palace have told Villa they are only interested in selling Christian Benteke at this stage of January, although that may change if Palace can sign a striker.
Villa are also considering goalkeeping options with Tom Heaton also out for the rest of the season with a knee injury, but finding a striker is now their number one priority.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2020/01/07/aston-villa-sign-danny-drinkwater-loan-rest-season/
