Aston Villa Academy: Cameron Archer is stagnating and must be sent on loan in January
Cameron Archer’s struggles at Aston Villa have been well-documented this season, and a loan move in January is the perfect step in his development if Unai Emery has no plans to play him regularly.
The 21-year-old is one of the brightest prospects to graduate from Villa’s academy in recent years but has played just 43 minutes of Premier League football so far this season – with Ollie Wakins and Danny Ings preferred.
After remaining unused in both the Boxing Day loss to Liverpool and the New Year’s Day victory over Spurs, it seems that the Englishman’s chances of gaining consistent minutes under Emery have all but evaporated into the West Midlands sky.
The dilemma is that Villa only have three recognised strikers and one proper winger (Leon Bailey) in their first-team squad. The release of Archer in January could leave Emery severely understaffed in attacking departments if no fresh faces are snapped up in January.
The Athletic’s Dan Bardell believes the England Under-21 international’s progress will be stifled the longer he sits on the Villa Park bench, and he should be warranted a loan move this month.
Speaking exclusively to Villa News, he said: “If Villa sign a striker, I think Cameron Archer will go. He’s been on the bench a lot and hasn’t played many minutes this season.
“I think we’ve seen in the past with Villa, with a young striker in Keinan Davis, if you stall someone’s development, it is a waste of their career, and they’re not going to improve.
“They’ll stagnate instead and not get to the level you want them to be.
“Cameron Archer had a good loan in January last year, and I expect him to go on loan again if Villa sign a striker in January.”
His loan move to Preston North End last season was a roaring success, as he notched up over 1500 minutes at Deepdale in just half a season, netting seven times and assisting one further goal.
His prolific stint with the Lilywhites has left several Championship clubs on standby this season as they eagerly await the chance to snap him up on a mid-season loan deal.
Whether he has the quality to hack it in the Premier League is still up for debate, but following impressive outings in the EFL Trophy last season – scoring six goals in four games – Villa fans are rightly asking why he has barely featured this campaign.
“Some fans have said they think he should come in and start, but I don’t think he’s quite ready to be a Premier League striker,” Bardell told Villa News.
“I think another second half of a season on loan somewhere scoring goals in the Championship would do him wonders, and then come back and really push the strikers that are at Villa.”
Archer is clearly a frightening prospect and has a huge future ahead of him, but Villa must be careful how they manage him over the coming years to ensure his long-term future remains in the West Midlands.
The striker is crying out for a loan move this January, and Villa must oblige.
In other Aston Villa news, Tyrone Mings outclasses his England teammate Harry Kane during Aston Villa’s 2-0 win against Tottenham.