Aston Villa manager Unai Emery giving instructions on the sideline

Aston Villa manager Unai EmeryImago

Aston Villa finalising transfer for defender exit as clause details shared

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Published on:

24 Jun 2026, 2:00 pm

Aston Villa are working on finalsing the transfer of defender Sil Swinkels to Sheffield Wednesday.

The 22-year-old was signed to Villa's academy back in 2020, and made his debut in an FA Cup tie against Liverpool in January 2021.

However, the left-footed defender has been unable to muscle his way into the first-team picture at Villa Park.

Consequently, he has been shipped out on loan to Bristol Rovers, Exeter City, and Chesterfield over the last couple of years.

The Dutchman, who has represented Netherlands at Under-15 and Under-18 level, is now set for a permanent departure to link up with League One outfit Wednesday.

More details of the potential transfer are now starting to emerge, with Villa seemingly taking some contingency plans with the deal.

Sil Swinkels set for Sheffield Wednesday medical as Aston Villa take future precautions

Initially it was thought that Swinkels would leave Villa Park on another loan deal in this transfer window.

However, Jacob Tanswell reported for the Athletic that the two clubs have agreed an undisclosed fee and are working on the payment structure of the deal.

Swinkels is set to travel to South Yorkshire for a medical in the next 48 hours, as Wednesday look to rebuild following the purchase of the club by Arise Capital Partners, led by American Michael Storch.

However, Villa are clearly keen to keep tabs on how Swinkels progresses in the future and are taking measures to ensure they do not get burnt if his development leads to another future transfer.

Tanswell reports that Villa have inserted a matching rights clause, meaning they must be notified of future offers, and retain the opportunity to match any bids that are made to Wednesday.

Sil Swinkels: Unai Emery will like what he sees as Aston Villa chance beckons

Sil Swinkels' Aston Villa timeline as exit close

Swinkels first came to Villa's attention when scouts were checking out now first-team ace Lamare Bogarde during a trip to Netherlands.

Villa were convinced to take a punt, and paid a fee in the region of £180,000 to Vitesse Arnhem to bring him to England.

Having played against Liverpool in 2021, he later sustained a cruciate ligament injury but started against Wycombe Wanderers in an EFL Cup clash in August 2024.

A new contract was agreed with Swinkels in 2025, and there had been a school of thought that he could break into the first-team fold on a more regular basis.

But now it looks as though he will make the switch to Wednesday, albeit Villa will be keeping a very close eye on how he performs at Hillsborough.

Sil Swinkels

Aston Villa Football Club