Tom Heaton’s future at Burnley looks to be in jeopardy. Burnley manager Sean Dyche had to sign Joe Hart during the summer transfer window on a two-year deal for a fee in the region of £3.5m after both Heaton and last season’s first-choice Nick Pope picked up injuries.
Hart has so far acted as first-choice and Heaton is likely to be demoted to third-choice keeper once he returns to full-fitness.
Heaton is a quality keeper and was on stand-by for England during the World Cup. He would have probably played for the Three Lions had Pope not ousted him as first-choice for Burnley last season. After Heaton picked up an injury last season, Pope took full advantage of the opportunities given to him and established himself as Burnley first-choice. His form was so good that he ended up winning a place in the Three Lions squad which played during the 2018 World Cup.
The one weakness for Aston Villa this season has been their goalkeeping department. Orjan Nyland has not yet adapted fully to Championship football. Signing Heaton will be a win-win situation for both club and player.
Heaton will be able to significantly improve the back-line of the Villa side which will improve their chances of winning promotion. By joining the club, the player will also be able to start playing regularly again.
Burnley are likely to allow Heaton to leave in January as they have three top-quality keepers in their first-team. They may need to sell one as they look to bolster other areas in January so that they can try and avoid relegation from the Premier League this season.
