Aston Villa youngster Tommi O’Reilly is reportedly on the verge of joining Shrewsbury Town on a season-long loan deal.
The 20-year-old has emerged as one of the top young prospects at the club over the last couple of years, showcasing real quality at youth level having bagged seven goals and 13 assists in 41 appearances for our U21s side.
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A loan stint with Real Union last season was ultimately a frustrating experience as an injury limited him to just two appearances for the Spanish outfit, and so he’ll be hoping that his next temporary switch proves to be more productive.
As per The Athletic, O’Reilly is set to join Shrewsbury for the season on loan, and it will hopefully give him an opportunity to play regularly and gain valuable experience at senior level to prepare him for a potential chance to break into the Villa first-team squad in the future.
With his technical ability, creativity and threat in the final third, O’Reilly has emerged as one of the more promising youngsters at the club currently, and so it’s hoped that this potential move allows him to express himself and develop his game while challenging himself at a higher level.
As we’ve seen over the past 12 months, Villa have adopted a transfer strategy of cashing in on our Academy players to help balance our books for PSR purposes, and so although ideally we’d see the top talents kick on and enjoy a long future in a Villa shirt, time will tell if others follow a different path.
For now though, O’Reilly will be focused on making the most of this latest opportunity, and it’s hoped that it works out for all concerned and helps him improve and mature into a player capable of staking a claim at Villa next summer or perhaps further down the line.