Nicklas Helenius

[KevinGage]

1.2m looks a steal to me.

I imagine he'll slowly be eased in and will only start if Benteke is unavailable (I mean when injured and not elsewhere) If the worst happens and Benteke isn't here we'll sign another forward.

Clearly Lambert has looked at it and seen Gabby is much better cutting in from outwide nowadays than right through the middle and Bowery isn't of the required quality to be starting premier league games so with Bent off we need another leader of the line in the squad.

See, I think one of the many qualities Benteke brings to the side is the way he frees up space for others. 

Even if he isn't scoring, he is often the focus for the opposition. They'll generally have at least two players around him.  Towards the latter part of the campaign -when he was generating more and more headlines and defences were wary of him- he was cute enough to go wide and pull players out of position. 

Gabby -like Bill Wyman- cashed in on this with more direct runs through the middle.   He actually isn't much cop out wide. He has pace, but isn't fleet of foot enough for a winger.  As an left sided or right sided forward he isn't much better. Let him run through the middle with space though and he's a nightmare to deal with.  See the Norwich game, where Bassong supposedly had Benteke in his pocket, but Gabby was free to run amok.

That's actually what concerns me most about losing Benteke.  We might find a forward who is cute enough to pull defenders out of position and links up well with his teammates.  We might - if we're really lucky- be able to find a forward who weighs in with 19/20 goals.    I don't think we'd find a replacement who brings both to the table.

[eamonn]

Well one lanky predecessor was John Carew who is the same height as young Nicklas. Another 'John Carew' at his best would be good.

John was built like a Barratt house though. Should have been the Benteke of his day.

[The Left Side]

Welcome little nicky

[Matt Collins]

If we lost benteke, there'd be little point trying to get someone in who offered everything he does. We'd be very unlikely to strike gold again so quickly. But we could use the money to strengthen the team as a whole. For example, we could get a great target man with less goal threat, but also get a number 10 capable of adding a new dimension to our game and getting into double figures, and possibly strengthen in another position too.

[john e]

i'm going to stick my neck out and say he'l be the new Villa star next season, and will be a first team pick by the end of the season

I had the same hopes for Gary Penrice in 1991, so I don't always call it right

[not3bad]

i'm going to stick my neck out and say he'l be the new Villa star next season

That would probably make a good thread - "Who will prove the best signing?"

[PaulWinch again]

Interesting interview with him on Sky, I didn't realise he had quite a bit of pace. That opens up potential roles for him within the team.

[LeeB]

i'm going to stick my neck out and say he'l be the new Villa star next season, and will be a first team pick by the end of the season

I had the same hopes for Gary Penrice in 1991, so I don't always call it right

I had a vision of this the other day, with a glum looking Benteke watching on from Darren Bent's old spot on the bench.

[eastie]

Danish striker Nicklas Helenius will maintain his prolific scoring record next season - and also set up plenty of chances for his new Villa colleagues.

That's the view of Aalborg manager Kent Nielsen, who was a big favourite at Villa Park after moving here from Brondby in 1989.

"Nicklas has very good vision," said Nielsen. "Last season he was not only our highest scorer, he also made the most assists.

"He is always aware of his team-mates and he has a very good pass.

"He's also very lively during matches and will always cause problems for the opposition.

"He scored a lot of goals at under-17 and under-19 level, and he has continued scoring for the two-and-a-half years I have been at the club."

Nielsen is obviously disappointed to be losing the 22-year-old international, who was second in the Danish Superliga goal charts last season.

But he is delighted the youngster is following in his own footsteps by coming to Villa.

"We are sorry to see him leave, but on the other hand we also know the nature of football," said the man who is best remembered by the claret and blue for his stunning volley against Inter Milan in the UEFA Cup in 1990.

"I'm pleased he has joined Villa. If he was going to join a Premier League club, Villa were the right club for him.

"That's not just because Villa are close to my heart. They have a very young squad at the moment and they are giving the youngsters a chance, just like we have done here in Aalborg.

"So in one eye we are sad but in the other eye we are smiling. Nicklas has taken many steps forward over the past two years but this one is huge.

"The pace of the game in England is a challenge for all Scandinavian players.

"But he is such a good finisher and if he can find the space like he has in Denmark he will score goals.

"Hopefully I will get the chance to come back to Villa Park next season and see him in action."

Despite the youngster's height, Nielsen believes Helenius's biggest asset is his powerful shot.

His final goal for Aalborg was a header against Nielsen's former club Brondby, but it's on the ground that the former Villa man expects him to be most effective.

"He has been very impressive for such a young player," added Nielsen.

"He scored a few goals with headers last season but his main strength is his shooting. He hits the ball so hard it's unbelievable.

"He is very strong from distance and is very precise. A lot of his goals have been scored from the edge of the penalty area, but he can also score what you would call easy goals, which is obviously important.

"He has progressed well throughout his time here. His first touch needs a bit of developing and I think he needs to put on weight, and he is going the right way."

[eamonn]

Thanks Kent. You're a gent.

[Hookeysmith]

I am feeling excited about this guy

[Monty]

Interestingly, Benteke mentioned how much he enjoyed playing in the 'number 10' role for Belgium recently, with Lukaku the most advanced forward. If Helenius is good at dropping off as well we could have a very fluid version of 4-2-3-1 on our hands, where the central strikers act like the old midfield duos: 'one stays, one goes'.

[oldham_villa]

It's great to have options isn't it.

If we can develop a solid defence we may surprise one or two people this coming season.

[adrenachrome]

Interestingly, Benteke mentioned how much he enjoyed playing in the 'number 10' role for Belgium recently, with Lukaku the most advanced forward. If Helenius is good at dropping off as well we could have a very fluid version of 4-2-3-1 on our hands, where the central strikers act like the old midfield duos: 'one stays, one goes'.

Sounds good; and if the wide forwards can change wings as well we should keep most defences on their toes.

[Dante Lavelli]

Interestingly, Benteke mentioned how much he enjoyed playing in the 'number 10' role for Belgium recently, with Lukaku the most advanced forward. If Helenius is good at dropping off as well we could have a very fluid version of 4-2-3-1 on our hands, where the central strikers act like the old midfield duos: 'one stays, one goes'.

I must admit when I read that it sounded like a desperate attempt to cement a place in the Belgium team, that is offering to play somewhere/anywhere else in order to guarantee a place rather than actually wanting/preferring to do it.