Aston Villa pay six-figure compensation fee for Hearts teenager Ewan Simpson – report
Aston Villa have paid a six-figure compensation fee to Hearts after signing teenager Ewan Simpson, Barry Anderson writes in the Edinburgh Evening News.
The midfielder moved to Villa Park after impressing manager Steven Gerrard when he was in charge at Rangers.
The now-16-year-old had agreed terms for a move to Villa Park earlier in the year but has since signed a long-term deal at the club.
In the same way that the Lions’ capture of Ibrox youngster Rory Wilson led to them paying the Scottish side a reported £350,000 they have now done similar for the Edinburgh club under FIFA rules, although the amount has not been disclosed.
The Daily Mail had reported in April that it was Simpson’s influence during the run to the Scottish Youth Cup Final that had attracted interest from a number of clubs, with Villa eventually coming out on top.
Small price to pay
The investment in what could turn out to be a key talent is a very small one for an English Premier League club.
While the Villans can’t go throwing compensation fees at any youngster who looks like they might turn into something, careful scouting to identify the right targets should prove to be a win-win for the club.
If Simpson continues to develop as hoped and becomes a serviceable member of the senior squad or more then a six-figure fee is a sound investment.
If he ends up becoming a decent player but not up to top flight level then he will be a saleable asset that will likely bring in a reasonable profit.
It is quite a cold outlook on what amounts to the hopes and dreams of a teenager, but that is the nature of running a football club.
Clearly Gerrard has seen enough in the player to suggest that he has a chance to become something, and knowing that a world-renowned midfielder in his day sees something in him should do wonders for the youngster’s confidence.
The club are stocking up on young talent lately, and while the potential exit of Carney Chuwuemeka would represent a blow to that model of sorts, he is going to bring in a decent sum of money if he leaves, which would represent a solid consolation.
In other Aston Villa news, Tyrone Mings has reacted to the news that the manger has passed the captaincy on to John McGinn.