Aston Villa have been extremely active in this summer transfer window as another youngster is on the verge of leaving the club.
Unai Emery has signed eight new players for Aston Villa this summer, a total that has been made possible by their number of outgoings.
Douglas Luiz and Moussa Diaby were the two big-money departures that have allowed them to flex their financial muscles while the club have shifted on Tim Iroegbunham, Morgan Sanson, Calum Chambers and Viljami Sinisalo permanently.
Emery has also made a conscious effort to loan out some of his talented youngsters to EFL sides, including Kaine Kesler-Hayden to Preston, Lewis Dobbin to West Brom and Filip Marschall to Crewe Alexandra with another now close to being confirmed.
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Aston Villa ace Lino Sousa set for Bristol Rovers loan
Villa captured Lino Sousa from Arsenal on transfer deadline day in January, agreeing a four-and-a-half-year contract at Villa Park.
The ‘outstanding’ 19-year-old is seen as one for the future at left-back and in the second half of last season, he was instantly shipped out on loan to Plymouth Argyle.
Despite only making eight appearances for the Championship side, he did gain invaluable experience of playing senior football and now, he’s closing in on a move to a League One side.
According to Bristol Live journalist Dan Hargreaves, Sousa is ‘close’ to securing a loan move to Bristol Rovers for the season and he isn’t the first Villa player to make that switch.
Lamare Bogarde, who has impressed in pre-season for Aston Villa, spent the last two campaigns on loan with the Gas and Sousa will now hope to follow in his footsteps.
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Unai Emery has a clear plan for Lino Sousa
When Joey Barton was manager of Bristol Rovers, he waxed lyrical over Bogarde’s ‘enormous potential’, with the 20-year-old starring as a central midfielder for the League One side.
Given Emery has a lack of options in his defence, as Tyrone Mings recovers from his ACL injury and Diego Carlos is poised to exit Villa, Bogarde could now be seen as a first-team option in 2024/25.
Currently, Ezri Konsa and Pau Torres are his two nailed-on starters but the Villa academy ace knocked on the door in pre-season and will now hope to barge his way into the starting XI.
Sousa, on the other hand, needs to earn his stripes on loan before being considered for minutes in the first team.
The teenage dynamo would be battling Lucas Digne, Ian Maatsen and Alex Moreno for a place at left-back, which is an unrealistic ask but one he can tackle in the future.
Hopefully, Sousa can enjoy a successful campaign on loan in League One, where he’ll hope to catch the eye of Emery and the rest of the Villa coaches.
