Loanwatch 2025-26

[paul_e]

We signed John McGinn when he was 23. Not saying Tommy is that good but it’s not a given that by not breaking through at his age he never will.

No I agree and I think far too often we write players off too quickly, that's why I said probably and mentioned Azaz who will likely be a premier league player next season. I just think statistically speaking the chances are he's not going to break-through with us given we also have players coming through behind him in similar positions who have been around or first team squad a lot recently (Jimoh-Aloba being top of the list).

I'd love him to make it though, frankly I'd love to have half the squad be academy graduates (whilst still challenging for trophies) and to have a global reputation for being the best place for youngsters to play, that's the sort of long-term sustainable success I think thge sport desperately needs to shift towards away from the buying of trinkets we've seen recently.

[LeeS]

We signed John McGinn when he was 23. Not saying Tommy is that good but it’s not a given that by not breaking through at his age he never will.

No I agree and I think far too often we write players off too quickly, that's why I said probably and mentioned Azaz who will likely be a premier league player next season. I just think statistically speaking the chances are he's not going to break-through with us given we also have players coming through behind him in similar positions who have been around or first team squad a lot recently (Jimoh-Aloba being top of the list).

I'd love him to make it though, frankly I'd love to have half the squad be academy graduates (whilst still challenging for trophies) and to have a global reputation for being the best place for youngsters to play, that's the sort of long-term sustainable success I think thge sport desperately needs to shift towards away from the buying of trinkets we've seen recently.

I agree. Sadly, I think we must be near the bottom of the list for bringing talent through to our own first team. One of the factors that now gives us such an aging squad.

[Sexual Ealing]

Worth remembering that it was much easier to take a punt on a kid from Hibs when we were a mid-table Championship outfit.

[Somniloquism]

Yes, just about to post that we signed McGinn for the Championship and didn't expect him to:-

a: Be a premier league player within 12 months.
b: Still be a playing for Villa after the Gerrard/Mings debacle. Most thought he would be gone that season and were happy when he was dropped.
c: To have been so swayed by Emery into improving that he is now a key player in a top 4/Champions League playing team and turned into Milner on the way he approaches all aspects of life on and off the pitch.

[Dante Lavelli]

I agree. Sadly, I think we must be near the bottom of the list for bringing talent through to our own first team. One of the factors that now gives us such an aging squad.

Let's not over-think the aging squad part (yet).  I'd be worried if we were signing players in the 29/30 age bracket as that is money we would never get back.  Our older players, McGinn, Mings, Digne, Martinez and Watkins, are investments that are paying dividends and a factor in our relatively low transfer spend.

[Somniloquism]

We barely bring youth through but the main issue there is we don't have good enough youth to come through for the PL as a whole. Whether that is a training thing, a problem with initial recruitment or even a self-fulfilling legacy that the better youth don't come to Villa as they know we don't promote much from within.

I can name two players in this millenia who have been at the top of the game after coming through our youth then leaving us and that is Grealish and Cahil. I suppose Barry as well although he wasn't initially with us and we thought Standing would be better and needed someone to help him settle. Jacob Ramsey might be another although he has dropped back since. I think we only have three graduates playing in the Prem league for other teams as of now although I stand to be corrected.

Hopefully a legacy of Emery is that we start training them better or better youth players start coming to us as a regular top 6 side and we see some more come through, but unfortunately I doubt it.