After enduring a torrid 2019 due to lack of game time, England international Danny Drinkwater has left Chelsea for Aston Villa on loan until the end of the season.
The former Leicester midfielder and Premier League winner spent half of this season with Burnley but the loan spell was unsuccessful as he managed just two appearances for Sean Dyche’s side. He was then injured after he got into a fight at a nightclub in September. Since he joined Chelsea from the Foxes in 2017, the midfielder has failed to impress the Blues chiefs and has also not justified the£30million transfer fee spent in bringing him to Stamford Bridge.
FutballNews reports that Drinkwater was at the club’s training on Tuesday for his medical and later signed a deal which will keep him at the Villa Park until the end of the season. The signing of Drinkwater means that Dean Smith’s side now has a cover in the midfield following the injury to midfielder John McGinn who fractured his ankle in December and is expected to be sidelined for months.
Villa took to their official website to confirm the deal and welcome the midfielder to Villa Park. And after the signing, manager Dean Smith said Drinkwater will strengthen his squad significantly.
“Danny was a key member of Leicester City’s title-winning team and has represented England so he is a vastly experienced player. He will strengthen our squad significantly.”
The latest addition to our midfield! 👊#AVFC #PL pic.twitter.com/bhgcvjtMus
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) January 7, 2020
It is understood that Villa will be paying his £110,000 per week in wages during the loan, with the Blues playing on Villa’s desperation to bolster their midfield. Smith’s side currently sit 17th in the Premier League table, just one point clear of the drop zone, and they find themselves on a run of six losses from their last nine games in all competitions.
For Drinkwater, the move will give him a chance to play regular football for the first time since 2017, before his £35m move to Stamford Bridge saw his career stall massively. He managed 23 appearances for the Blues during his debut season, before sitting out almost the entire campaign under Maurizio Sarri, who openly admitted that he had no place for the midfielder in his squad last year.
