Aston Villa defender Kosta Nedeljkovic has reportedly emerged as a possible loan target for Valencia, who are said to have already made contact with the club.
The 19-year-old joined us last January from Red Star Belgrade, but spent the remainder of that campaign on loan with the Serbian giants before joining up with Unai Emery and the squad in the summer.
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Despite impressing in pre-season, the Serbian international has been limited to just eight appearances across all competitions so far this season, and that in turn has led to speculation over his future at the club.
Speaking to the media in his pre-Leicester City press conference last week, Emery confirmed that a loan exit was an option this month as we also assess our options in the transfer market to bring in another right-back, and that could be the way it’s heading for Nedeljkovic.
According to Cadena Ser, Valencia are interested in signing him on loan for the rest of the season, as they consider him an alternative target to Ivan Fresneda, and so they’ve made contact with Villa over a possible agreement.
Time will tell if they are able to get a deal done for their priority target, but if not, the report would suggest that Nedeljkovic could become a serious option, and he would possibly end up reuniting with Enzo Barrenechea at the La Liga outfit, after the Argentine midfielder joined them on loan last summer.
Ultimately, it seems like the sensible decision for both Villa and Nedeljkovic, as although he will have benefited from training with the first-team over the past six months and getting some opportunities, he needs to play regularly at his age to gain experience and develop his all-round game.
His situation is unlikely to change with us in the coming months with Matty Cash now fit again and starting at right-back, and if Villa are indeed looking to strengthen that area of the squad, then it will likely result in Nedeljkovic falling further down the pecking order.
It’s hoped that this isn’t the start of a path that eventually ends with him leaving permanently, as we’ve obviously seen something in the talented youngster and he does appear to have a bright future ahead of him.
In turn, it would be disappointing if we don’t see that progression continue as a Villa player, but a short-term loan exit until the end of this season would perhaps be the best option for him in the more immediate future.
