The disrupted 2022/23 Premier League campaign has begun drawing to a close with us now well inside the month of February, and as Aston Villa fans will know, whilst there weren’t many first team changes during the January transfer window, there was plenty of movement on a loan front and this month’s update has taken me a couple of days as I’d actually missed a few myself.
I’m assuming I won’t have been the only one, so here we go and hopefully I haven’t missed anyone.
Having had a successful spell out last season with League Two side Newport County, 22-year-old Finn Azaz stepped up a level this time around and made the move to League One side Plymouth Argyle for the remainder of the campaign. It’s turned into another good season for the lad as well. He has made 15 starts with six substitute appearances, and he’s already returned six goals for them. Sadly back at the end of October, he sustained a broken ankle and ligament damage but he remained at Home Park for his recovery. It was hoped he would return to action before February, and he did just that in mid January as he begins building himself back up.
21-year-old goalkeeper Viljami Sinisalo made the switch out to League One, and local side, Burton Albion as he hoped to build on the successful loan spell he had out with Scottish Championship side Ayr back in the 2020/21 campaign. It hasn’t been a great opening half of the year. He made eight starts for them, with two clean sheets to his name. He was recalled given the lack of game time.
Having had a mixed first half of last season with Ipswich Town, 19-year-old Louie Barry got himself back on track after a January switch to League Two side Swindon Town. He stepped up a level this year, making a season long loan out to League One MK Dons. Barry had 18 starts, with 14 additional showings from the substitutes bench. He opened his club account back in November and having been recalled, he has been sent back out on loan with Salford City. He one start and one substitute showing to his name so far.
26-year-old Wesley had a very mixed 2021/22 campaign, first heading to Club Brugge, before moving on to Internacional in January. This term he’s headed to Spanish Segunda Division side Levante as he looks to prove his fitness and form, and ultimately get his career back on track. He’s made 14 starts, with 12 substitute appearances for them so far. He has finally opened up his goalscoring account, but the most important thing is the game time he is getting.
Having had a reasonable spell out in the second half of last season with Stoke City, 21-year-old Jaden Philogene-Bidace gets a second bite at the Championship cherry with him spending the 2022/23 season with Cardiff City. 14 starts and ten substitute showings later, he’s already returned three goals.
Following Jacob’s rise through the ranks in recent seasons, former gaffer Dean Smith was attempting to repeat the trick with 19-year-old brother, Aaron. Having had a reasonable second half of the season out on loan League One side Cheltenham Town, Aaron Ramsey was set to spend the season with Championship side Norwich City. After a slowish start as he adjusted, he made 16 starts, with six substitute appearances. He also provided three assists, with three goals. Aaron unfortunately picked up a knee injury during the winter break, and following the departure of Smith, his future was in doubt and we did recall him. His recovery is going well though and on deadline day we sent him back out to Middlesbrough – although he is yet to debut for them.
Ramsey joined Cameron Archer at the Riverside Stadium, as he headed out there much earlier on in January. The 21-year-old so far has two starts and two substitute appearances as he makes his own adjustment again.
20-year-old Kaine Kesler Hayden had a fantastic 2021/22 campaign. He spent the first half of the year with League Two Swindon Town, before stepping up to League One MK Dons during the January window. This season he again stepped up another level and headed out to Championship side Huddersfield Town. Although it was supposed to be a season long loan, their permanent signing of former Villan Matty Lowton changed the plan and he returned to us in January having made ten starts, with five substitute showings.
The conundrum that is 27-year-old Bertie Traore, was set to spend the 2022/23 with Turkish Super Lig side Istanbul Basaksehir. He made ten starts, with eight substitute showings – scoring three goals. It appears he pushed for a January return after picking up a small injury as he wants a crack under Unai Emery. (I wonder why?)
In one of the stranger decisions of the summer given we already knew about the injury to Diego Carlos, 27-year-old Kortney Hause headed out to the Championship to spend the year with Watford. He has two starts and one substitute appearance to his name in what has been a woeful spell for him.
24-year-old Keinan Davis had previously headed out to Vicarage Road for the campaign and he has faired better. 16 starts and four substitute showings later, he has returned four goals.
Having received a bit of game time whilst he was with Exeter City before making the move to our Academy, 18-year-old defender Ben Chrisene made the move north of the border to join Scottish Premiership side Kilmarnock for the season. He’s now made 13 starts for the side, with three more showings from the bench.
21-year-old Tyreik Wright again headed out for a spell in League Two, but this time the Republic of Ireland Under 21 international headed to Bradford City for the rest of the year. He had 14 starts, three substitute appearances and four goals to his name. He was recalled in January and promptly signed for Plymouth Argyle.
20-year-old striker Brad Young was set to build on his loan spell with Carlisle United last year, as he was set to spend the season with Scottish Championship side Ayr United. Young scored on his debut against Raith Rovers and now has nine starts with four substitute showings under his belt. He has scored twice in total but was recalled in January.
With plenty of Villans wanting to see slightly more of 19-year-old Tim Iroegbunam, he very sensibly was given a loan spell out with Michael Beale’s Queens Park Rangers side. It’s his maiden loan spell since joining us and clearly going straight into the Championship shows how highly we rate him. Despite Beale leaving for the Rangers job, with the well known Neil Critchley taking over, Tim now has 18 starts and four substitute appearances to his name.
Fellow 20-year-old midfielder Hayden Lindley had also departed for a League Two experience, and he headed to Newport County for the rest of the 2022/23 campaign. It has been a poor spell for the lad given their struggles, and he only notched up three starts with two substitute appearances in the first half of the campaign. Villa recalled him at the beginning of January.
Caleb Chukwuemeka headed out to League Two side Crawley Town. The loan includes an obligation to buy. He has six starts now with six more substitute showings under his belt.
The lessor spotted Morgan Sanson headed out to Strasbourg where he joins Freddy Guilbert following his permanent switch. He has three appearances to his name so far.
Marvelous Nakamba headed out to the Championship to end the season with Luton Town, and he made his substitute debut recently as he settles into life there.
Lamare Bogarde undertook his first loan spell with Bristol Rovers, and he too has now made his substitute debut for them in League One.
Finally, I think, goalkeeper Filip Marschall headed out to National League side Gateshead. He has now made three appearances, keeping one clean sheet.
