COMMENT By Will Butcher

Aston Villa must join three Championship sides in the race to sign Swansea winger Modou Barrow this summer, with his future at Swansea all but over.

The Sun's transfer expert Alan Nixon claimed on his personal Twitter account that second-tier trio QPR, Barnsley and Reading are all after the 24-year-old speed machine.

Barrow was loaned to Leeds last season but struggled to get going with Garry Monk's side possessing an abundance of wingers including Kemar Roofe, Stuart Dallas and Alfonso Pedraza.

However, Barrow could now be given the chance to reignite his career in the Championship with three sides said to be chasing the four-time Gambia international.

The former Ostersunds attacker has two years remaining on his current contract, but Bruce has already used the Premier League as a scouting pool this summer and Barrow could be next.

Football Insider examines three ways in which Barrow can have an impact in Bruce's pursuit of a fifth career promotion, including the future of a current Villa ace:

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Premier League experience

Barrow, who possesses lightning quick pace, has clocked up 51 Premier League appearances since moving to the Welsh outfit back in the summer of 2014.

With Bruce bringing in John Terry, Chris Samba, Glenn Whelan and Ahmed El-Mohamaday, Premier League experience seems to be the order of the day.

Barrow brings plenty of that and if Villa do succeed in gaining promotion this season, his knowledge of the top tier would see able to continue to be a crucial side of the Villa side.

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Lack of width or attacking tenacity

Bruce is now only three days away from the start of the Championship season and still has just one first-team winger available to him, in Albert Adomah.

Jack Grealish, Ross McCormack and Leandro Bacuna are better preferred elsewhere, while Keinan Davis and Andre Green are unproven in the Championship.

Signing Barrow, who is a proven Premier League performer, would not only add quality to the Aston Villa side but cover too.

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McCormack set to leave

Football website

TeamTalk

claim 30-year-old playmaker Ross McCormack is set to leave the club this summer, with Sunderland edging closer to signing him on a loan.

Although Barrow would not be a like-for-like replacement for ex-Leeds ace McCormack, attacking reinforcements will be needed and losing the versatile star will see Villa need cover.

Penning the signature of Barrow would see Villa bolster their attacking ranks, even without McCormack.

In other Aston Villa transfer news, why the Midlands outfit should look to rival two Championship sides to sign a defensive duo.

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