It’s been a productive few years in terms of our youth products coming through the ranks at Aston Villa, and there are high hopes for Kaine Kesler-Hayden in particular.
The decision was made this past summer transfer window to sell a number of our top prospects, with Cameron Archer, Aaron Ramsey and Jaden Philogene moving on, albeit with reports of buy-back clauses being inserted into those agreements.
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That safeguards our position moving forward in terms of having the option to bring them back if they flourish, while we get the more immediate financial boost from their respective transfer fees to help balance our books for FFP purposes.
Further, Louie Barry is impressing on loan at Stockport County, while Finn Azaz, Lamare Bogarde, Seb Revan and Viljami Sinisalo are among our other Academy products to be out on loan currently looking to impress.
It may well be part of a model for Villa moving forward to cash in and benefit from the profit that comes from selling our top young players to be able to then invest in top recruits, and so perhaps the strategy moving forward is to maximise their potential on loan before looking to find permanent deals off the back of that.
However, if any of these youngsters impress enough and appear to be a suitable fit for Unai Emery’s system and style of play, there is hopefully very much a window of opportunity for them to establish themselves in our first-team squad still.
Kesler-Hayden, 20, joined Plymouth Argyle on a season-long loan deal this summer, and he’s already reaping the rewards of that move having featured in six of their seven games so far this year.
The experience that comes with that playing time coupled with the chance to improve, learn and develop his game are all making this another valuable chapter in his career to build on his previous loan stints elsewhere, and it’s hopefully gearing him up for a real run at making his Villa breakthrough next year.
From his Player of the Match award from the club against Crystal Palace in the Carabao Cup to the reaction he gets post-match after most games from Plymouth fans on social media, it’s clear that he’s already making an impression and showcasing his ability.
Further, as seen in the video below, there are hallmarks to his game that arguably make him a great fit for Emery’s system and preferred style of play. Whether that’s when he tucks inside and covers alongside his centre-halves to show defensive quality, or when he breaks forward into more advanced positions, looks composed and has the technical skill to influence games in possession, he ticks a lot of key boxes.
Naturally, there is still a long way to go this season and it’s hoped that Kesler-Hayden continues to impress and improve. He’s long been singled out by many as one of our most promising talents after his influential role at U21s level in our FA Youth Cup success in 2021, and it’s hoped that this loan spell with Plymouth is the ideal springboard for him to break into the senior Villa squad and push the likes of Matty Cash and Ezri Konsa for that spot at right-back.
— Kaine Kesler (@KaineKeslerHayd) August 30, 2023