Aston Villa are reportedly set to green light a loan move for Samuel Iling-Junior, and he isn’t expected to be short of options.
The 20-year-old arrived earlier this summer as part of our transfer dealings with Juventus which also saw Enzo Barrenechea arrive, while Douglas Luiz moved in the opposite direction to join the Turin giants.
READ MORE: ‘I love it here’ – What Emi Martinez said after signing new Villa contract
Despite featuring over pre-season and getting minutes from Unai Emery, his absence from the matchday squad for our win over West Ham Utd last weekend was a significant indication that he may not be part of our plans this season.
Now, according to Fabrizio Romano, Villa have decided to ship him out on loan, and he claims that there is interest from Spain, France and Italy as Iling-Junior will have options in front of him.
It seems like a sensible solution for all concerned for this season at least, as given the level of competition for places in the roles that Iling-Junior could play, he’s likely to struggle to get regular minutes.
Jacob Ramsey, Emiliano Buendia, Morgan Rogers, Leon Bailey and others will battle for a starting berth in the final third behind Ollie Watkins, while Ian Maatsen and Lucas Digne are ahead of him in the pecking order at left-back, and so it’s difficult to see where Iling-Junior gets consistent minutes even as we compete across four competitions.
Instead, a temporary switch elsewhere will allow him to have a more prominent role, gain experience and develop his game further, and hopefully return to us next summer an improved player.
Time will tell if that ultimately leads to having a part to play under Emery in a Villa shirt or if he is moved on for a potential profit in the future, but either way, a loan move now would be an astute decision to ensure his value goes up either way.
