'Talks planned' - Middlesbrough plot swoop for £12m Aston Villa star as Norwich City eye loan extension

Aston Villa must soon make some big transfer decisions for two of their four players currently out on loan in the Championship.

Middlesbrough have reportedly planned talks with the Villans at the end of the season to discuss Samuel Iling-Junior’s future following a successful few months at the Riverside Stadium. Norwich City, meanwhile, are reportedly eager to extend Lewis Dobbin’s loan as they’ve hardly been able to give the winger an opportunity so far due to injury woes.

Both players struggled in the first half of the campaign and have had contrasting fortunes since January. Iling-Junior’s loan at Serie A club Bologna didn’t go to plan as he played just 548 minutes across 16 appearances, while Dobbin accumulated only 397 minutes in 18 games for West Bromwich Albion.

Iling-Junior being recalled and sent to Middlesbrough instead has been an excellent decision as the 21-year-old has shone under head coach Michael Carrick. Iling-Junior is predominantly a winger by trade but has been utilised as a left wing-back by Boro, scoring one goal and making two assists in 15 Championship appearances.

The call to cancel Dobbin’s loan at West Brom and send him to Norwich instead was of great benefit at the beginning, as he racked up 732 Championship minutes in two months. The 22-year-old scored goals in the 5-1 win over Swansea City and the 4-2 victory over Stoke City, too, but he hasn’t played since sustaining an injury on March 1.

Iling-Junior and Dobbin eyed for transfers

It initially took Iling-Junior a little time to settle at Middlesbrough but he has since grown into an effective all-rounder under Carrick. Boro have been impressed by his ability to play in so many positions - whether it be left-back, central midfield or right wing - without kicking up a fuss.

Teeside Live reports Iling-Junior is on Boro’s Most-Wanted list for the summer transfer window as a result. The Riverside club are set to arrange talks with Villa to discuss Iling-Junior’s future, a conversation that will likely include the possibility of both loan and permanent deals.

There are many factors at play, though, so an extension to Iling-Junior’s time at Boro may not be too straightforward. Villa must decide whether he can be utilised under Unai Emery as soon as next season, while Boro must determine whether they can match whatever financial demands Villa set out. Iling-Junior himself must make his thoughts clear, too.

In the case of Dobbin, former head coach Johannes Hoff Thorup revealed during one of his final press conferences that Norwich were considering asking for Dobbin for another season. Thorup was relieved of his duties on Wednesday but revealed the plans for Dobbin before his departure.

"Of course," Thorup said when asked if he'd like the Villa loanee to stay. "We have to wait and see what things will be going on this summer.

"For him, he could see that he was developing, and he was doing it fast. He was actually doing very, very well here towards the end based on 10 games, which is positive. I think what he gave to the team in many ways was really positive.

"We will sit down with him and his agents and his people to go through if there are any opportunities for him to actually stay with us, continue, or be here on a loan spell next season. I think it's realistic that we have those conversations.”

As Iling-Junior and Dobbin were both fairly big investments for Villa, costing £12 million and £10 million to sign from Juventus and Everton respectively, it’s important that their next steps are thoroughly thought out.

Does it make sense to go back to Middlesbrough and Norwich? Are there better options elsewhere? Should their next moves be loans or permanents? These are all big questions that need to be answered.