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To think that Aston Villa are in the market for a new goalkeeper is almost baffling.
Yes the club could do with more Premier League experience as they return to the top-flight, but their dealings in the window so far suggest that’s not what they’re after.
All four of their new signings have no Premier League experience with the club confirming the additions of Jota, Anwar El Ghazi, Wesley and Kortney Hause.
However, after Jed Steer’s remarkable turnaround throughout the latter stages of 2018/19, it feels incredibly harsh that he may now be demoted to being second choice again.
In recent weeks the Villans have been linked with moves for both Neil Etheridge and Jack Butland. The former was the subject of an £8m bid, only for it to be rejected, whilst The Sun claim that the latter is being eyed in a potential £20m swoop.
On that evidence, signing Etheridge is surely the better proposition. Villa need to be careful with the funds they part ways with this summer and spending £20m on a position where they don’t really need strengthening would be questionable.
A second bid for Etheridge is in the pipeline but it seems unlikely they’d have to part with a fee as high as the one being touted for Butland – he’s older, doesn’t come with the English player premium an his contract expires in two years.
But, should a move for either ‘keeper materialise, who would be the better option?
It’s difficult to assess the two considering Butland spent a season back in the Championship but it would feel natural to suggest he’s the better stopper.
After all, this is a player who has continuously been called up to the England squad despite not staying in the Premier League after Stoke’s relegation.
Etheridge, however, has spent a term in the top-flight and more than looked the part, saving two penalties in his opening two Premier League games.
He became the first goalkeeper to achieve that since Erik Thorstvedt kept out two spot kicks for Tottenham back in August 1992.
Etheridge’s prowess at saving penalties could be key, but there are other areas to suggest he’d be a better signing than Butland.
Last term, the Cardiff man made 3.6 saves per game. He was tested on a regular basis as the Bluebirds battled for relegation and nearly survived, only for a number of debatable calls to go against them in the final stages of the campaign.
Yet despite going down, the 29-year-old was their star man as he won their Player of the Year award for 2018/19.
Butland, on the other hand, made 2.8 saves per game. But it’s from shots inside the penalty area where the Philippines ‘keeper proved himself to be a real difference-maker.
His reflexes are brilliant and that’s evident in the large proportion of stops he makes from close range, making on average 2.5 saves per match from efforts taken inside the box.
The one underlying negative though is his distribution, something that can be seen in his concerning pass percentage of 32.3%. Butland is considerably better in that department, but when it comes to actually denying goal scoring opportunities, Villa’s other target had a more productive campaign.
Bringing in the Stoke goalkeeper would undeniably be a good signing but costing a potential £20m, Etheridge is better value for money.
He rarely put a foot wrong for Cardiff last term and Villa could be assured of adding a reliable and efficient operator between the sticks if they moved for the former Fulham man instead.
Ahead of a return to the top-flight, Villa will need to be shrewd. If they can get a deal over the line for Etheridge in a transfer that would likely cost less than what Butland would, it has the potential to be far better business.