The player is probably thinking Soton are leveling off and aren't going to take the next step. He might see Villa as an intriguing project where he will get more playing time than if he went to a Super League side.
I think Tuchel has no use for him, and we have a loan history with Chelsea...Tammy knows the drill with Villa and has mates on the team...not totally implausible.
Depends on who else is brought in, but Buendia is a transformative addition, as long as Grealish stays put. If we don't add any more players and stay injury free, we should finish about 6th place. If we add 2-3 more quality players, we should be able to challenge for the Champions League.
I don't disagree. Smith said he was "excited" and that we want "quality". Signing JWP and Buendia would be a shot across the bow of the league and we will be considered contenders for Europe.