Aston Villa have reportedly finalised a deal with Sheffield Wednesday for the exit of defender Sil Swinkels.
The 22-year-old joined us from Vitesse in 2020 and went on to impress at youth level before a string of loan moves elsewhere to continue his development and gain experience.
While it had been hoped that he might be able to make a breakthrough at senior level at some point having featured under Unai Emery in pre-seasons, it ultimately didn’t materialise as he’s made just two appearances for the first team.
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In turn, given his age and the stage of his career that he’s entering, a permanent departure was arguably the sensible outcome for all concerned this summer, and it appears as though the Dutchman is on the verge of completing a move.
As per Jacob Tanswell, Swinkels is set to join Sheffield Wednesday as a deal is now being finalised after he underwent a medical earlier this week.
It’s added that Villa will make a profit on the £180,000 that we paid to sign him from Vitesse six years ago, but no further figures are provided.
Ultimately, it’s a deal that suits all concerned. Swinkels will get the opportunity to play a more prominent role and take a step forward in his career, Sheffield Wednesday get a top talent and Villa pocket a decent fee from another youth player.
It’s hoped that it works out for the defensive ace in his new challenge, and time will tell who is able to step up as our next top prospect in that department to see if they can fare better and make their mark at senior level.
Swinkels is unlikely to be the last sale that we make this summer as we continue to try and balance the books as we walk a financial tightrope, but it’s hoped that it continues to help us strengthen a competitive squad capable of building on the success that we enjoyed last season.