Aston Villa have confirmed that Kaine Kesler-Hayden has signed an extended contract with the club, with his previous deal having two years still to run.
The 21-year-old was a stand-out member of our youth team as he captained the side that won the FA Youth Cup in 2021.
READ MORE: Villa duo working hard ahead of pre-season return boost after injury woes
He has since gone on to gain valuable experience during loan spells with Swindon Town, MK Dons, Huddersfield and Plymouth, before the decision was made to bring him back to Villa in January and spend the second half of last season in Unai Emery’s squad.
As per the club’s official statement, Kesler-Hayden has now put pen to paper on a new contract, and so it will be fascinating to see what the next step in his career is.
Ultimately, the hope with all of our best Academy players is that they go on to prove their quality at senior level and become a key member of our first-team squad, particularly with Villa now looking to compete on multiple fronts year in and year out under Emery.
However, as we’ve seen with multiple top prospects that are coming through the youth ranks in recent years, part of Villa’s strategy to balance our books and ensure we’re on the right side of PSR and financial regulations is to cash in on them, with the likes of Aaron Ramsey, Cameron Archer, Omari Kellyman and Tim Iroegbunam moving on over the past two summers.
Having now signed his new deal, Villa have strengthened their position when it comes to Kesler-Hayden’s future, as he can either go out on loan again with no imminent concern over his contract situation, or it could help to maximise his value moving forward.
Ideally, we’ll see him emerge as a key option at right-back for Emery having had the chance to learn and adapt to his demands last year, but he faces significant competition in the form of Matty Cash and incoming arrival Kosta Nedeljkovic.
Perhaps we’ll see more movement in that position before the end of the transfer window, but for now, it’s a positive move from Villa to secure Kesler-Hayden’s future, and now time will tell whether or not he’ll be an important part of the senior squad in the upcoming campaign and beyond, or if he’ll follow a different path, similar to our other talented youngsters.