ASTON VILLA boss Steven Gerrard wants to sign another striker before he lets England Under-21 forward Cameron Archer leave on loan.
Archer played 20 games scoring seven goals on loan at Preston last season and is wanted back at Deepdale by boss Ryan Lowe.
A handful of other Championship outfits are keen on the 20-year-old too.
The striker moved to Preston after spending the first half of last season at Villa.
He made three Premier League appearances for them off the substitute bench.
Archer was part of the England Under-21 set up in their most recent four international games netting four times.
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Villa are in the market for a new striker this summer with Gerrard’s former Liverpool team-mate Luis Suarez linked with a stunning move to Villa Park.
There remains uncertainty regarding the future centre-forward duo Danny Ings and Ollie Watkins.
Meanwhile, Villa paid Blackpool an astonishing £1.2million compensation package for coach Neil Critchley.
Gerrard was keen on reuniting with his old Liverpool pal to replace Michael Beale, who has left the club to become QPR boss.
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Villa were more than happy to pay out the stunning sum for Critchley.
Blackpool have since appointed Michael Appleton as their new manager.
He returns to Bloomfield Road after a spell in charge of the side in the 2012-13 season.
Appleton took charge of just twelve games for the club drawing eight of them.
