View: Academy prospect Tim Iroegbunam can add physical dimension to Aston Villa midfield next season
Although he is just 19 years old, Aston Villa academy loanee Tim Iroegbunam could be the physical presence that Unai Emery is currently missing in his midfield.
Since the Spaniard arrived at Villa Park, his side have been in impressive form, but a glaring weakness has appeared in recent weeks. After conceding 11 goals in three games – albeit including matches against Manchester City and Arsenal – questions have been raised about Villa’s soft underbelly in the middle of the park.
The midfield duo of Douglas Luiz and Boubacar Kamara that was paired with creative duo Emi Buendia and Philippe Coutinho against the Gunners, was simply overrun and outpowered at times, and Iroegbunam could be the perfect antidote to this problem.
This season at QPR, however, Iroegbunam has been a mainstay at the base of midfield and has largely been tasked with breaking down opposition attacks and doing the dirty work with his naturally combative style of play.
His ability to read the game, along with his powerful running on the ball, is a combination Emery is missing at the moment. The England youth international is your typical enforcer and could potentially be a useful option for the club to call upon next season instead of splashing the cash.
With the club rumoured to be eyeing up a move for Marseille midfielder Matteo Guendouzi in the summer, they seem to have missed a trick by not looking within their own ranks at Iroegbunam. [Birmingham Mail, 3 February]
Although he would be unlikely to play ahead of either Luiz or Kamara, having a physical presence such as Iroegbunam to call from the bench in the latter stages of the match would be very useful for Emery. Far too often this season, Villa haven’t had enough strength to bolster the side when trying to defend a lead, as shown by the two goals conceded in injury time against Arsenal.
If Aston Villa are to make the most of its academy and put all the years of investment in Bodymoor Heath to good use, the QPR loanee is one of the players who should be making the ascension to the first team.
In other Aston Villa news, the club want to reunite with a former player for a fee in excess of £40million in the summer.