Unai Emery must make transfer decision for Aston Villa’s ‘extraordinary youngster’

Aston Villa striker Cameron Archer’s loan spell in the Championship has officially come to an end and Unai Emery now has a decision to make about the youngster’s future.

Used six times off the bench for Villa at the end of matches during the first half of last season, Archer earned a January move to Middlesbrough and he did excellently.

Michael Carrick was appointed as head coach in November of last year and guided Boro from relegation candidates to promotion contenders with fast-flowing football.

Archer played a key role under Carrick, netting 11 goals and contributing six assists in 20 Championship matches as Boro went on to finish fourth, five points behind Luton Town.

A return to Bodymoor Heath with Villa awaits Archer but first, he’s taking part in the UEFA European Under-21 Championship, representing England.

The Young Lions have advanced to the semi-final stage after beating Portugal by one goal to nil on Sunday. Archer has started one game so far and come on as a substitute twice.

Competing with the likes of Morgan Gibbs-White, Anthony Gordon and Noni Madueke for a spot up top, Archer has managed to score once in 109 minutes of action.

What next for Archer?

As Villa only really have Ollie Watkins and Jhon Duran as natural centre forwards heading into next season, Emery may be tempted to give Archer more first-team opportunities.

The 21-year-old has proven he’s more than capable of finding the back of the net from his time at the Riverside Stadium. His movement and positioning were also a joy to behold.

These are attributes that Emery will likely favour, especially with Villa needing squad depth heading into a campaign with Europa Conference League football.

It must be weighed up, however, whether Archer’s progression will be halted somewhat if he isn’t starting games consistently.

If the player can’t be assured regular game time and a small number of guaranteed starts, it might be best to allow him to make another move to the Championship.

Another option could perhaps be loaning Archer to a bottom-half Premier League side as those clubs are unlikely to be direct rivals to the Villans.

There’s no clear indication as it stands as to what is expected to happen with Archer but more clarity is expected once pre-season gets underway.