Aston Villa are reportedly expected to approve of a loan exit until the end of the season for goalkeeper Joe Gauci.
The 24-year-old was signed from Adelaide Utd last January, but as expected with Emiliano Martinez ahead of him in the pecking order, he has been limited to just two appearances so far this season, both of which came in the Carabao Cup before our exit from the competition.
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With Robin Olsen now fit again and a regular on the bench for Villa, that in turn has pushed Gauci down the pecking order again, and now it’s reported by BirminghamLive that he could depart on loan this month, with Westerlo touted as one of two interested clubs.
While Gauci would have benefited greatly from working with our coaching staff and Martinez in training on a daily basis to not only improve and develop his skills, but also to learn and adapt to the demands of Unai Emery, he does need regular playing time too in order to make progress and continue to build on his potential.
Particularly with Martinez set in place as our starter between the posts, that is unlikely to happen at Villa, but with Olsen now available again and perhaps more likely to start against West Ham Utd in the FA Cup on Friday night, that will only limit Gauci’s opportunities further.
In turn, should a loan exit materialise for the Australian international this month, it would be a sensible decision if he is indeed considered third choice by Emery, as hopefully it will better prepare him for next season with the possibility that Olsen moves on this summer with his current contract set to expire in June.
Gauci undoubtedly offers a longer-term solution and he has produced positive displays when he has featured for us, be it during pre-season or in the Carabao Cup, and so this will hopefully prove to be the most productive choice for his career right now, provided that he lands in a good spot and gets regular playing time to gain that valuable experience.
