Aston Villa look like they are about to announce their fourth summer signing as Steven Gerrard continues his early transfer business.
What’s the word?
That’s according to Fabrizio Romano, who tweeted: “Robin Olsen will join Aston Villa on a permanent deal, agreement done and set to be announced.”
Roma will receive €3.5m (£3m) for the goalkeeper and Villa look set to confirm yet another transfer, which will be their fourth in what has already been a very productive off-season for Gerrard and the club’s hierarchy.
Will Villa finish in the top half of the Premier League next season?
Villa fans will be buzzing
The signing of Olsen on a permanent deal would follow already-completed moves for Philippe Coutinho, Boubacar Kamara and Diego Carlos.
Gerrard has built a solid spine to his new-look team, and he will be hoping that Olsen can challenge Emiliano Martinez for the number one spot next season.
The Swede joined Villa on loan from Serie A outfit AS Roma in January until the end of 2021/22 to provide cover for the Argentine, although he didn’t make his debut until the final match of the Premier League season, a 3-2 defeat to Manchester City which was marred by crowd trouble at the end.
While he may have conceded three goals on the day, the 32-year-old still pulled off two saves during a pulsating encounter at the Etihad Stadium, while he also boasts the vast experience of 58 caps for Sweden, being their first-choice ‘keeper at Euro 2020 and the 2018 World Cup.
Olsen played on loan at Everton in the 2020/21 season, where he kept three clean sheets in 11 appearances, and he appears a more than capable deputy for Martinez.
There is no doubt that Villa struggled defensively over the last few months, conceding 54 goals in the Premier League. This is something that Gerrard will be aiming to improve next season, and the signing of Carlos should bolster the heart of that shaky backline.
Tyrone Mings and Ezri Konsa underperformed in 2021/22, with WhoScored ratings of 6.74 and 6.43 putting them 10th and 17th respectively among the Villa squad, so Gerrard could certainly do with making his team harder to break down.
Supporters would surely be buzzing with yet another signing in Olsen and this could give them a taste of what is still to come over the next couple of months as the manager continues to rejuvenate the squad.
