Steve Bruce: Aston Villa loanees must commit to the cause

The manager is eager to add to his squad before next Friday’s deadline, but acknowledges he faces a battle in convincing his top targets to drop down into the Championship.

Bruce, who is keen on Chelsea’s Tammy Abraham, revealed he has missed out on certain players who preferred a move to Europe instead.

“You have to make sure they are the right ones who want to come and play,” he said.

“There are some where they just don’t entertain it. Some want to go and play in Europe too.

“I have been close to one or two signings but they have gone to Europe, mainly Italy and Spain.

“If they don’t want to come and play it doesn’t matter what age they are, they are no use to you.”

The boss continued: “The big thing is trying to convince players to drop out of the Premier League and into the Championship. Usually what a player wants to play.

“The toughest thing is not playing on a Saturday. If you get use to not playing, that is when it becomes dangerous.”

Southampton’s Shane Long, Everton’s Yannick Bolasie and Watford’s Isaac Success are among the other players on Bruce’s radar as he looks to bolster his attacking options before the end of the month.

Despite the issue of persuading players to try the Championship, Bruce believes Villa’s stature does give him an advantage over other managers in the division.

“Let’s not underestimate the pull of Aston Villa. It is still huge,” he said. “Out there in the big world of football, Aston Villa is still Aston Villa.

“It still has a great pull, probably more here than I have had at any other club. With the training ground we have got.

“There were 35,000 fans last week. You get the chance to play in one of the great arenas. The club has a lot going for it.”