Unai Emery to make Kosta Nedelijkovic loan decision after Aston Villa transfer developments
Aston Villa defender Kosta Nedelijkovic is in the “right place” to develop and doesn’t need to leave Villa Park on loan, according to Alan Hutton.
The 18-year-old made his Villans debut in the Premier League win over West Ham United on Saturday (17 August) as he replaced Matty Cash in the closing stages of the showdown at the London Stadium.
Nedelijkovic was signed by Unai Emery during the January window but immediately returned to Red Star Belgrade on loan for the remainder of the season, before joining up with the Villa squad this summer.
Although Hutton doesn’t think the teenager is ready to become a starter if Cash is to depart before the transfer deadline, he thinks the defender will learn a lot from working under Emery as a rotation option.
“I think he’s done well from what I’ve seen in pre-season,” Hutton exclusively told Villa News.
“He’s still very young and he’s still got a lot to learn and I think he is in the right place to do that under Emery.
“But if Matty Cash were to leave, I think they would have to have a replacement come into be a regular starter and he would have to be the back-up.
“He’s definitely got the potential and it will be something where he looks to get involved during cup games and fixtures like that.
“We will see how that develops, but I do believe if Cash were to leave they would need somebody to come into that starting XI now.”
Will Kosta Nedelijkovic exit Aston Villa after Villa Park transfer?
As Hutton suggests, Villa aren’t blessed with loads of depth at right-back as they head into the new season, with Ezri Konsa, Cash and Nedelijkovic the only real options available to Emery at this stage of the summer.
The 18-year-old is clearly still incredibly raw and while some will argue a loan move will help him continue his development, Emery will be keen to shape him in his image and help him take his next steps with the first team.
Nedelijkovic is unlikely to start week in and week out in the Premier League, but he will almost certainly be given cameos off of the bench like he had against the Hammers and in cup competitions sooner rather than later.
Hopefully, the Villans won’t lose Cash so close to the end of the window. If they do, they simply have to find another option as well as the teenager so that they don’t rely on him to start every game as they push for the top four once again.
In other Aston Villa news, Joe Gomez is set to make a Liverpool exit decision amid links with a summer move to Villa Park
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