George Overhill

Thu 1 June 2023 19:10, UK

Homegrown star Jacob Ramsey has proven to be a key part of the project under Unai Emery at Aston Villa, with the club reaping the rewards of the 22-year-old being a Premier League regular for the past three seasons.

The midfielder ended the campaign in fine form, recording two goals and two assists across the final three games as the Villans put up their last seven points to secure European football next season.

Following his goal (and assist) in the 3-0 win over Newcastle on 15 April OptaJoe noted on Twitter that only Arsenal stars Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli had scored more times in the Premier League aged 21 and younger since the start of the prior season (he turned 22 on 28 May), making his importance and status clear.

But while the club is currently flying high thanks to the Emery rescue operation, they must ensure they maintain a path to the first team to bring through the next generation of Ramsey figures from the Aston Villa academy.

Operating at the level they now find themselves obviously makes the transfer market vital, but introducing any player into the senior side in the Premier League is far from an exact science, and it is a lot more expensive when it doesn’t work out with outside recruits, as current Villa star Philippe Coutinho’s post-Liverpool career has demonstrated.

According to FBRef stats, the only Aston Villa academy product aside from Ramsey who featured at all in the Premier League this season under either Steven Gerrard or Emery was Cameron Archer who played a total of 49 minutes across six substitute appearances.

The 21-year-old then spent the second half of the season on a successful loan at Middlesbrough, scoring 11 league goals.

He had been expected to get more of a chance back at Villa Park after spending time Preston North End the season before, and now according to The Sun on 29 April Boro want to sign him permanently, so his window of opportunity with the Lions may have already closed.

Carney Chukwuemeka might have been a prime candidate to be next in line to make a breakthrough into first-team regular from Bodymoor Heath, but he made clear he wasn’t signing a new deal and was snapped up by Chelsea last summer.

The subsequent season each team had might be making that decision look less wise now, but if the teenager goes on to become an established Premier League performer it won’t be at Villa Park, barring an unexpected return.

There is talent at the club’s academy but over the previous campaign it hasn’t been seen enough, and for all the success Emery has brought with him, youngsters may be tempted to follow Chukwuemeka and take their chances elsewhere if the senior side is blocked off.

Having seen an immense turnaround under the Spaniard Villa now have the opportunity to bring through the next generation from a position of strength and, if all goes to plan, with more matches in which to give them game time.

Whether it be Tim Iroegbunam or Jaden Philogene after their loans with QPR and Cardiff respectively, or whether their time has been and gone and the need is to look younger to the likes of Kaden Young, Kaine Kesler Hayden, Louie Barrie or Tommi O’Reilly, Emery and his staff should not lose sight of the academy products when formulating their plan for next season.

It is likely to be an exciting summer in the transfer market, but it will be all the more effective if a foundation of homegrown options start to come through underneath.

In other Aston Villa news, the club could have banked many millions if they had made the switch at manager earlier.