Aston Villa could reportedly send Cameron Archer to Middlesbrough on loan with the Championship outfit said to be in advanced talks over a deal.
The 21-year-old is highly regarded at the club, but having played just 52 minutes of football so far this season, his lack of playing time is far from ideal at this stage of his career.
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Having enjoyed a productive loan spell with Preston last season, Archer would surely benefit from another loan stint where he can gain experience and through regular playing time, develop his all-round game further.
According to TeamTalk, Middlesbrough are in advanced talks to sign Archer on loan for the remainder of the season, and so it remains to be seen if Villa green light the switch this month.
With Ollie Watkins and Danny Ings still ahead of him in the pecking order, and with Leon Bailey also deployed up front by Unai Emery since he arrived, the situation doesn’t appear as though it will change any time soon for Archer.
In turn, a temporary switch elsewhere would be the sensible decision, as ultimately we need to see him continue to improve and develop as there are high hopes that he will eventually have a big future in a Villa shirt.
He’s shown his talent and quality at youth level for us and in his aforementioned loan spell with Preston where he bagged seven goals in 20 appearances, and so while it remains to be seen if it’s Middlesbrough he joins as the report above suggests, a loan move at Championship level would be a smart call.
It’s a hugely important call too though, as the last thing Villa want to see is Archer go out on loan and not play. With that in mind, the club need to be sure that Middlesbrough is the right landing spot for him, and so time will tell if the touted discussions lead to an agreement.