Aston Villa Academy: Hierarchy must resist the urge to sell Tim Iroegbunam
Aston Villa must resist the urge to sell academy prospect Tim Iroegbunam as several elite clubs continue to keep tabs on the 19-year-old’s progress, according to The Athletic.
Bodymoor Heath has been a breeding ground for the brightest youngsters in the country over the last few years, with the likes of Jacob Ramsey, Cameron Archer and Chelsea ace Carney Chukwuemeka all coming through the ranks in the west midlands.
Another of their bright gems is Iroegbunam, who is currently plying his trade with QPR in the Championship and thriving so far this season under an ever-growing spotlight.
The combative midfielder was prised from Villa Park on deadline day by then-manager Michael Beale, who had previously worked with Iroegbunam under Steven Gerrard and had clearly seen his talent on a first-hand basis.
Since his move, the Villa ace has been a mainstay for the London-based club, starting 15 times in the second tier this season and proving himself a major cog in their promotion-chasing season.
However, if Iroegbunam continues his rapid rise through the ranks of English football, it won’t be long until a big-six club comes calling and tests Villa’s hierarchy with a lucrative transfer offer.
And this big-money move is seemingly drawing ever closer, with Iroegbunam popping up “on the watch-list of multiple Premier League clubs”, according to The Athletic journalist Gregg Evans.
This may sound rather familiar to former academy prospect Chukwuemeka, who signed a six-year deal at Stamford Bridge for £20million last summer.
Although Gerrard and the board did offer the 18-year-old a new long-term contract at Villa Park, they could not keep the youngster out of the clutches of the Premier League giants, with his big-money move coming as a major disappointment to fans. [Sky Sports]
It was seemingly his lack of first-team opportunities that lured him into the transfer after not being sent out on loan by his parent club and instead being told to develop his game at Bodymoor Heath.
The Athletic report does state that Villa have “no plans” to sell Ireogbunam, and they will be sitting happily in the thought that he still has four years remaining on his current deal.
However, it is imperative that Villa don’t mismanage their next up-and-coming talent amid growing transfer interest, and they must resist the urge to bring him back into the fold under Unai Emery.
In other Aston Villa news, Finn Azaz is set for a fresh contract offer after a pair of stunning loan spells in the football league.