Tammy Abraham is a man in demand, and Aston Villa may well lose him in the January transfer window. On loan from Chelsea this season, the striker has scored 16 league goals already.
This has attracted the attentions of a number of Premier League clubs, most notably Wolves. Chelsea have the option to recall the player this month, and it has been speculated that they will do so and sell the player on to one of the interest suitors in the top flight.
While such a move would no doubt be a blow for Aston Villa, it could be good news for a certain Irish striker. Scott Hogan has suffered from a lack of game time this season, due to a mixture of injuries and poor form. Were Abraham to move on, he is next in line for a starting spot.
That is according to Villa boss Dean Smith, who knows Hogan well. The pair worked together at Brentford, at a time when Hogan was the hottest striker in the Championship. Should Abraham leave, he is fully confident the Ireland international can step up to the plate:
The decision is now with Tammy. We have a contingency plan in the building.
I have got a player who has already scored 20 goals in this league in Jonathan Kodjia as No.9.
I have a player I worked closely with at Brentford who scored 15 goals before Christmas in this league in Scott Hogan.
I know I have got players in the building.
Hogan will be hoping for more opportunities over the second half of the season, and he may require an Abraham departure in order to get them.
Mick McCarthy will certainly be hoping to see more of the player, as he assesses his striking options ahead of the opening Euro 2020 qualifiers in March.
