COMMENT By Will Butcher

Steve Bruce would give his Aston Villa side the creativity and attacking tenacity that is required to secure promotion next season with the signing of Lazio's Ravel Morrison.

Sky Sports Transfer Centre claimed (Wednesday, 12.03pm) that Birmingham have had a loan bid rejected for the 24-year-old ace, who has endured a difficult time in Italy.

The former West Ham star has been training with Harry Redknapp's Blues for the past three weeks, and it is believed that Birmingham remain in talks with Serie A side Lazio.

Bruce is looking to secure his fifth career promotion from the Championship with Villa this season, as they failed to secure an instant return to the Premier League during 2016-17.

It has seen the experienced manager bring in the likes of John Terry, Ahmed El-Mohamady, Glenn Whelan and Chris Samba as well as securing another loan for Sam Johnstone.

Football Insider considers three reasons why Bruce must not stop there and look to steal in and snatch Morrison out of Birmingham's clutches, with one being the future of a Villa playmaker:

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Championship form

Making a career total of 55 Championship appearances for four different clubs in West Ham, Cardiff, QPR and Birmingham, Morrison knows how to shine in England's second tier.

Impressing mostly at Birmingham and in his first spell with QPR, Morrison has scored nine goals and laid on another five, a ratio of being involved in one goal less than every four matches.

If he can replicate that kind of consistency and feature in the majority of Villa's matches next season, Morrison would prove a key figure in helping Bruce's side finish in the top two.

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Creativity is severely lacking

That kind of Championship form would be crucial at Villa, more than ever.

Last season, the Midlands giants managed just 47 league goals in 46 games with Ivory Coast international Jonathan Kodjia sparing his side's blushes as he scored 19 goals in 40 outings.

A playmaker is needed to further improve Kodjia's record and bring the best out of Scott Hogan and Morrison would prove to the perfect player at Villa Park, should Bruce make a late move to sign him.

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McCormack: coming or going?

Football website TeamTalk claims Sunderland are edging closer to the signing of £12million flop Ross McCormack, after a dismal first season in claret and blue.

The Scotland international struggled to maintain any kind of rhythm and was loaned to Nottingham Forest in January, where he also failed to shine.

Simon Grayson's side are set to sign the attacker and bringing in a playmaker to replace him is key. Step forward Morrison, who possesses similar attributes in pace and an eye for goal that McCormack has.

In other Aston Villa transfer news, this defender has agreed terms with a top-flight club.

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