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On loan from AFC Bournemouth of the Premier League in the second half of the season, centre-back Tyrone Mings has put injury woes behind him to help secure Aston Villa Championship promotion via the play-offs.

The towering defender proved to be a key January signing for the Birmingham-based club, helping them turn their fortunes around after a disastrous start to the campaign that saw Steve Bruce sacked and made promotion seem like a naive pipe dream.

And now Sky Sports are reporting that Dean Smith’s men are determined to permanently sign the 26-year-old Englishman in the summer transfer window, following his immaculate displays at the heart of their backline.

In light of this, three Football FanCast writers give their verdicts below on whether Villa should make the move or seek an upgrade for their return to the Premier League. Here’s a look at what they had to say on the matter…

Christy Malyan

“Mings has been a key part of Villa’s promotion bid and it would appear Smith rates him highly. But Villa’s team overall lacks Premier League experience and Mings is another in that bracket with only 17 top flight outings under his belt. Villa should prioritise someone with a proven record in the Premier League who can help organise and lead this incredibly young team, especially when you factor in Mings’ injury problems of recent years.”

Matt Dawson

“Aston Villa must do everything possible in order to bring Mings through the door on a permanent deal. He almost single-handedly fixed Villa’s defence when he arrived in January and without him I doubt they’d have achieved promotion. Whatever the cost, this would be one of the club’s best signings in years.”

Harry Sherlock

“Mings has been excellent in the Championship and Villa should be doing everything they can to get him to sign on a permanent basis. He’s got all the leadership qualities needed to steward Villa through the difficult first season after promotion and wouldn’t cost the Earth, either. It’s a no-brainer.”