Aston Villa have confirmed that Jaden Philogene and Seb Revan have departed the club, the former on a permanent basis while the latter moves on loan.
As we’ve seen with the exits of Aaron Ramsey and Cameron Archer this summer, Villa have been open to allowing our younger talents to move on, as Unai Emery continues to mould the squad into his own.
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Despite making a positive impact for us over pre-season, Philogene has departed to join Hull City on a permanent basis, as confirmed by the club’s statement, and so the 21-year-old will now start a new chapter in his career.
Having impressed over the summer though, it had seemed possible that he could be given the chance to make a breakthrough at senior level under Emery this season with so many fixtures to consider, but ultimately he’ll now relish his new opportunity at Hull, with the potential of a return to Villa down the line.
As per the Athletic, it’s reported that he has moved on in a deal worth around £5m, while Villa have a buy-back clause included in that agreement and a first option, and so it remains to be seen if Philogene still eventually plays his way into a future at the club.
Similarly to Ramsey and Archer, it gives them all an opportunity to play a more prominent role, develop and showcase their ability at a vital stage of their respective careers, and if Emery believes that they could have a role to play for him with the benefit of gaining that valuable experience, perhaps we’ll see those options exercised to bring them back.
Meanwhile, Villa also confirmed that Revan has signed a contract extension and has joined Rotherham United on a season-long loan deal.
The 20-year-old also made a positive impression in pre-season and made his full senior debut against Hibernian in the Europa Conference League this week, and so again, it felt as though there was the possibility for him to play a part for us this year as we need depth across the squad.
That said, with Lucas Digne and Alex Moreno ahead of him in the pecking order, it has to be questioned if he would have got enough chances.
He’ll now enter a crucial phase of his development at Rotherham, and that could ultimately now determine if he will be involved with us next season, or if he potentially follows a similar path to Ramsey, Archer and Keinan Davis, and earns a move elsewhere.
It’s a fascinating balancing act that Villa have to get right when it comes to our top young talents, and hopefully we’ll keep the best ones on board and give them the chance to flourish.
