Aston Villa tipped to battle West Brom for bargain wonderkid amid free agent exit claims

Aston Villa and West Bromwich Albion might have very different aims for the season, but the two West Midlands giants could find themselves at odds over a talented young star who could become available in the coming months.

Villa have risen strongly into the top four of the Premier League and another qualification for Europe looks a distinct possibility, despite a disappointing summer transfer window and a poor start to the campaign. Their recent West Midlands derby victory over Wolves was the icing on the cake.

For the Baggies, though, times have been challenging for new head coach Ryan Mason. He was saved from coming under increased scrutiny as his side fought back from 2-0 down to win against struggling Swansea City at the Hawthorns on Saturday, rising back into the top half of the table in the process. With just four points separating West Brom and the top six, anything is still possible at this stage of the season.

Aston Villa and West Brom set to battle for Bailey Rice

Reports by Mail Sport state that Aston Villa and West Brom are believed to be two of the clubs interested in Rangers teenager Bailey Rice, who is set to depart the club as a free agent in the summer. The 19-year-old sees his contract expire on June 30 and after failing to agree on terms for a new deal, a queue of interested clubs have begun to build up for the former record-breaking star.

Villa, West Brom, Sunderland and Cardiff City are all stated to have ‘checked on’ the midfielder, who became the youngest post-war player to play for Rangers in the league when he made his debut aged 16 years and 137 days in February 2023.

Rice will be free to sign a pre-contract agreement with sides outside Scotland from January 1, with the Baggies and Cardiff already indicating they are ready to secure a deal ahead of the expiry of his contract. Whether the Villans make a similar offer to match their rivals in January remains to be seen.

The defensive midfielder has been earmarked for success for several years, attracting interest from Manchester City and Brighton during his Motherwell academy days, before he opted to sign for Rangers in 2022.

‘You want to be playing’ - Rice has spoken of Rangers ambition

Rice spoke to local media at a press conference in May and expressed his desire to stay and fight to earn his place at Ibrox, but his opportunities have remained few this term and a departure may therefore become a reality for the teenager in 2026.

He said at the time: “For me personally, this season has been good, I would’ve liked to have played more games, but I feel like I have taken my chances, and I have shown what I can do so hopefully next season I get more of them. People could say my progress has been slow, but at the end of the day this is Rangers. It is a lot harder and a lot more demanding than any other club, so I have been happy with how it has been.

“I have got confidence in myself, I always back myself, but at the end of the day it is up to the gaffer to decide who is in the starting eleven, and then the players have to go and show it. You don't want to just be a squad player or a bench player, you want to be playing, especially for this club I have supported my whole life. It is a dream every time that I play and hopefully I can take that into next season and see where it goes.”