Unai Emery will be wowed by Jamaldeen Jimoh-Aloba despite Aston Villa U21s heartbreak
Unai Emery is already having to keep a close eye on several Aston Villa academy prospects, and Jamaldeen Jimoh-Aloba can be added to that list.
Villa Under-21s battled it out in a dramatic Premier League 2 play-off defeat against Tottenham Hotspur on Monday 6 May, eventually losing out narrowly to a Will Lankshear extra-time winner. [Aston Villa]
The Villans took an unlikely lead at The Lamex Stadium, with Sil Swinkel poking home at the back post, taking a 1-0 lead into the half-time break.
Two quick-fire goals from Yago Santiago and Lankshear saw the favourite overturn the one-goal deficit before Jimoh-Aloba scored either side of an added-time goal from Spurs’ right-back Rio Kyerematen.
With the score tied at 3-3 at the time of the full-time whistle, the young Villa side experienced absolute heartbreak as Lankshear grabbed his second of the day to secure a 4-3 win in the round of 16.
Despite the defeat, Jimoh-Aloba has emerged as an incredibly exciting talent in the Villa academy and could be a name that appears on the first-team fringes very soon.
Jamaldeen Jimoh-Aloba to make Aston Villa debut?
The 17-year-old midfielder came into the match as a substitute, having just gone 2-1 down to a free-firing Spurs side. That did not faze Jimoh-Aloba, however.
Despite being a natural central midfielder, he is extremely versatile and has played in several positions this season, deputising on either flank, in the front three, or even as a defensive midfielder.
It is quite clear that Jimoh-Aloba has superb ability in the final third of the pitch, having notched 10 goals and four assists in all competitions so far.
The youngster has also been promoted from the Under-18s side, coming into the U21s side for the second half of the campaign, which was certainly needed for the tie against Spurs on Monday.
If Emery has any sense, especially with the number of first-team injuries this season, he will be keeping tabs on Jimoh-Aloba and may contemplate bringing him through to the senior set-up.
In other Aston Villa news, one player is ready to join the club after a transfer update.
For more Aston Villa news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.