Official: Villa youngster Philogene-Bidace joins Stoke on loan

Aston Villa have confirmed that talented youngster Jaden Philogene-Bidace has joined Stoke City on loan for the rest of the season.

The 19-year-old has made brief appearances for the senior side since making his Premier League debut at the end of last season, and he clearly has plenty of talent to enjoy a long-term future at Villa.

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However, at this stage of his career and development, he will undoubtedly benefit from regular playing time to gain experience and improve his game, with the club’s official site confirming that he will spend the rest of the campaign on loan at Stoke.

It’s hoped that he now gets the opportunity to play week in and week out and in turn it is considered a successful loan spell on its conclusion, and that will hopefully set him up to return to Villa in the summer and compete for a place in the squad under Steven Gerrard.

With Philippe Coutinho arriving this month to add to the likes of Leon Bailey, Emiliano Buendia and Bertrand Traore, Philogene-Bidace was always going to struggle to get a look in being further down the pecking order, and so ultimately this move makes sense for all concerned and should deliver rewards further down the line.

As with the likes of Kaine Kesler-Hayden, Arjan Raikhy and Brad Young, Villa have been keen to send out our top prospects on loan to come back stronger for the experience, and while we’ve had some mixed luck in the first half of the campaign, it’s hoped our selection policy in terms of where these players go is more fruitful in the next five months or so.