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Cameron Archer could consider Aston Villa permanent exit, Unai Emery set for decision - Sky Sports journalist
We’re delighted to welcome The Athletic’s Dan Bardell as our exclusive Aston Villa columnist each week he’ll be giving his views on the biggest talking points at the club…
Dan Bardell believes Cameron Archer could consider leaving Aston Villa in the summer transfer window if he isn’t guaranteed regular football under Unai Emery next season.
The Middlesbrough loanee has been in sparkling form since his January switch from Villa Park, netting six goals and providing three assists from just 12 appearances for Michael Carrick’s side.
Alongside fellow academy graduate Aaron Ramsey, the 21-year-old has led the line for Boro to great success, helping the Championship outfit rise to third in the table with eight games of the season remaining.
However, with Villa signing Colombian teenager Jhon Duran in the January transfer window and Emery expected to dip back into the market for attacking options, the young striker may still find himself on the periphery of proceedings in the West Midlands next year.
Speaking exclusively to Villa News, Sky Sports and The Athletic’s Bardell admitted that the early days of pre-season would be a crucial period for Archer and his future hopes under Emery.
“If he’s not going to play at Villa, he has to go somewhere else,” he said. “I think he’s at that point in his career where he needs to be playing regular football.
“He’s 21, he’s scored goals at every level he has played at, and the only level he is yet to be given a chance at is in the Premier League.
“Middlesbrough has proven a great match for him since he has gone into the team. He has been flying alongside Aaron Ramsey in the Championship and has been scoring goals for fun in recent weeks.
“Emery will want to take a look at him and Ramsey in pre-season, in the first few weeks of pre-season, and that will likely shape the future of Archer beyond the end of the season.”
Archer is contracted at Villa Park until 2027, so a sale of the England Under-21 international is still unlikely this summer.
However, if he isn’t promised consistent minutes under Emery next term, there would certainly be plenty of suitors who would be willing to take Archer’s services.
Having been sent out on loan to Preston last season and Middlesbrough this term, it would be unlikely that the academy graduate would want another temporary destination next year.
This summer will be crucial to Archer’s future, but whether the forward continues to ply his trade at Villa Park into the future is still up for debate.
In other Aston Villa news, a first-team player is expected to return after the international break with a protective brace after what happened in 2023.