Aston Villa were happy to let Jordan Ayew go in January and he is making a positive impression at Swansea City.

Back in the January transfer window, Aston Villa’s decision to swap Swansea City left-back Neil Taylor for misfiring attacker Jordan Ayew appeared to make sense.

Villa needed reinforcements on the left of their defence with Jordan Amavi being relentlessly linked to a return to France with Marseille, a move he eventually made this summer via a season-long loan with an option to buy.

Ayew, meanwhile, had fallen down the pecking order since Steve Bruce replaced Roberto Di Matteo at the helm and had not exactly shone when he was given the chance to impress.

A new player in new surroundings

Eight months on, however, Ayew looks a new player since swapping the Midlands for South Wales. The Ghanaian international may have scored once in just five Premier League starts for Swansea in 2017/18 but has consistently been one of their liveliest attacking players and a positive source of menace.

He certainly would have come in handy for a Villa side who, prior to Saturday’s 3-0 win at Barnsley, had looked as toothless this season as they did for the majority of last.

Now, with 19-year-old maverick Andre Green ruled out for a number of months and Jack Grealish also on the sidelines, Ayew’s pace, directness and general unpredictability could have come in handy for Steve Bruce.

Instead, the former Lorient talisman has continued to prove that he does belong in the Premier League after impressing as a rare bright spark in a dismal Villa side during their 2015/16 relegation season.

Bruce might not have seen much in Ayew but Swansea counterpart Paul Clement appears to be getting the best out of his gifted but erratic attacker.