As the new season approaches, everyone in the squad will be looking to impress Unai Emery and force their way into the first-team plans.
There were some standout loan performances last season, with those returning players looking to cement a place in the squad given the potential of two extended domestic cup runs, and European football (if we negotiate a way through the play-off game). They’ll also be players looking to step up from youth football and gain experience in the lower divisions.
Who would you like to see step out from youth football and secure a loan deal – Kayden Young, Rory Wilson, Josh Feeney – drop your suggestion in the comments box below; let’s chat!
We also await news of a new loan development manager after Mile Jedinak departed to take up first-team coaching duties at Tottenham Hotspur.
Last season, Aston Villa loaned out 21 players in the 2022-23 season, with youngsters gaining experience in lower divisions and more experienced players earning valuable game time.
Let’s see how they got on over the course of the 2022–23 season.
Cameron Archer
The 21-year-old striker started the campaign for Aston Villa, making six appearances from the bench in the Premier League, as well as a substitute appearance in the League Cup 2nd round; a 4-1 away victory over Bolton.
Cameron Archer wasn’t getting as much game time as he would’ve liked and was third choice in the pecking order, behind Watkins and Ings. In the January transfer window, Archer was loaned out to Championship side Middlesbrough.
Boro had recently appointed former Villa coach Aaron Danks as a first-team coach, and it made sense for Archer to get some much-needed game time; he played a total of 1552 minutes in 22 appearances for the Championship side, only three of those from the bench.
Archer got off to a great start with an assist in his first start against Watford in a 2-0 victory.
The goals soon followed, with Archer scoring his first Middlesbrough goal just two games later as well as adding another assist in a 3-1 win against Cardiff. Archer would contribute 11 goals and 6 assists in total, helping his team into the Championship Play-Offs. Unfortunately, Boro didn’t make the final, but it would prove to be a decent experience for Archer, who had a very good second half of the season. He was named MOTM three times during his loan spell.
Keinan Davis
At the beginning of the 2022–23 season, Keinan Davis was loaned out to Watford on a season-long loan.
Keinan Davis had a stop-start season unfortunately due to picking up an injury along the way, but he still got plenty of minutes during his time at Watford; 2408 minutes to be exact, making a total of 34 appearances for the Hornets.
The forward started his first game against Sunderland, scoring one of the goals for his side in a 2-2 draw. Davis would score again in the next game, a 4-0 win over Stoke, Davis scored seven goals in total and made two assists.
Watford finished the Championship season in 11th place.
Marvelous Nakamba
The Zimbabwean had a tough first half of the season for Aston Villa after suffering an injury the season before.
Marvellous Nakamba would feature in the match-day squad on the bench multiple times but was never used. With no minutes under his belt, it was only fair that the defensive midfielder would be loaned out in January.
Nakamba joined Luton Town for the second half of the season and enjoyed making 20 appearances, including 19 starts and one off the bench. Marvellous got himself a total of 1726 minutes for The Hatters and instantly became a fan favourite for his timely tackles and his desire to get stuck in.
The Marvellous One would contribute to his side finishing 3rd in the championship and a place in the Play-Offs. Ultimately, Luton would get to the final, and Marvellous would score one of the winning penalties in a 6-5 victory over Coventry City. Luton will be joining the Premier League after successively winning the Play-Offs and securing promotion. It appears the Luton faithful would like to permanently sign Nakamba next season.
Aaron Ramsey
Aaron Ramsey started the 2022–23 season at Norwich City. Former Villa manager Dean Smith had been appointed manager at the time and wanted the 20-year-old for his energy in midfield.
Ramsey would play 1042 minutes for Norwich in the Championship, getting himself 3 goals and 3 assists in 18 appearances, 5 of which were from the bench. Ramsey got his first assist in a 1-0 win over Sunderland. He would get his first senior goal when he scored a brace with a Man of the Match performance in a 3-1 victory over Stoke. Ramsey also made another two appearances in the League Cup, adding another 125 minutes to his tally.
Unfortunately for Ramsey, he suffered an injury in November against Middlesbrough and wouldn’t feature for the club again. With Dean Smith and Norwich going their separate ways, there was no place for Ramsey in the squad, and he returned to Villa.
Aaron Ramsey would join Cameron Archer and former Villa coach Aaron Danks at Middlesbrough in January. Ramsey didn’t feature at first due to the injury he suffered playing for Norwich. It wasn’t until the middle of February that Ramsey would make an 8-minute cameo appearance from the bench.
Just two games later, Ramsey would put in a Man of the Match performance and grab a double in a 5-0 drubbing over Reading. Ramsey played 11 times for Middlesbrough, scoring five times and getting an assist. Three of those were as a substitute in a total of 671 minutes for Boro, putting in two MOTM displays in that time frame.
Once again, Ramsey’s loan spell was cut short when he suffered an ankle injury early on in a 5-1 thrashing over his former club, Norwich, in which he scored. Ramsey returned to Villa to begin training before the end of the season.
Tim Iroegbunam
At just 19 years old, Tim Iroegbunam has already shown a lot of promise in the central midfield position and has proven to be versatile in that he could also play a defensive or attacking role.
Iroegbunam began the 2022–23 season at Villa Park, where he was named in the matchday squad for the second-round League Cup game away at Bolton. Iroegbunam didn’t feature in the first three league games, but in this 4-1 win, he would be introduced and play the final six minutes of the tie. He would be on the bench again for the next two PL games against West Ham and Arsenal but wouldn’t get any more game time.
On September 1, former Aston Villa assistant Michael Beale signed Tim on a season-long loan at QPR. Iroegbunam made his debut as a second-half sub against Swansea in a 1-0 defeat. He got 20 minutes of action that day.
Overall, Iroegbunam played a total of 2286 minutes in 32 appearances for QPR, four of those from the bench, under three different managers at the club. He scored his first senior goal in February, in a 3-1 loss to Blackburn Rovers. He would then get his second and final goal of the season two games later, in a 1-0 win over Watford. QPR didn’t have the greatest of seasons; they were tipped to compete for promotion from the Championship but ended up battling at the opposite end of the table. QPR finished 20th.
Jaden Philogene-Bidace
The 21-year-old attacking winger began the 2022–23 campaign on loan to Championship side Cardiff City on a season-long loan.
Philogene played in a number of positions and roles over the course of the season: on the left, right, central, and even as a left-sided forward.
He started the opening game against Reading on the bench and was introduced with 17 minutes remaining. Cardiff lost 2-1. Jaden started the next one, though, and in the third game against Birmingham City, he scored his first senior goal (yes, SOTC!) in a 1-0 win.
Philogene made a total of 39 appearances, including appearances in the League Cup and FA Cup, playing 2314 minutes overall. 25 of those 37 championship games were starts, with 12 coming off the bench. He scored four league goals and got one assist, plus he got himself Man of the Match in March when he scored in a 2-0 win over Bristol City.
Philogene got himself Man of the Match in the FA Cup tie against Leeds United too back in January, when he scored the opener in a 2-2 draw. Unfortunately, he was an unused sub in the replay, in which they lost 5-2.
Jaden had an impressive season, which was a woeful one for Cardiff. They just about survived the drop to League One, finishing 21st, and possibly would’ve been relegated if Reading didn’t have a point deduction.
Kortney Hause
This was a season to forget for the centre-back, who joined fellow teammate Keinan Davis on loan at Watford.
With the signing of Diego Carlos, Gerrard allowed Kortney Hause to join “The Hornets” on a season-long loan. Hause started on the bench and would be introduced in the last 10 minutes of the opening day’s 2-1 victory at home to Middlesbrough.
Hause would then be given the green light to start the next two games, and well, that was it for Kortney Hause; he never played again for Watford.
Officially on Watford’s books until the end of the season, a long-term knee injury put him out of commission, and when Watford would later name their squad, Hause wasn’t part of it. He finished his season back at Bodymoor Heath under the supervision of the Aston Villa medical staff. Kortney Hause played a total of 190 minutes.
Finn Azaz
The 22-year-old attacking midfielder joined League One side Plymouth on a season-long loan. Finn had a productive season, playing a total of 2117 minutes in all competitions, including 34 league appearances (24 of which were in the starting XI), 1 League Cup appearance from the bench, and a late cameo in the Papa John’s Trophy.
Although Finn Azaz missed a few games over the winter, he still scored eight goals and provided eight assists in the 2022–23 season. Finn got off to a flying start, scoring the only goal in a 1-0 victory over Barnsley on the opening day of the campaign. He got awarded Man of the Match four times over the season, one of those being in a 4-1 away day victory over MK Dons, in which Azaz scored twice and got an assist. He also finished the season as he started it, with a goal on the last day of the season in a 3-1 victory over Port Vale.
On the final day of the season, with the contribution of Finn Azaz, Plymouth Argyle were crowned League One Champions. This was the first time The Pilgrims had won a title in 14 years, which means Plymouth will be competing in the Championship next season for the first time since 2010.
Louie Barry
The 19-year-old attacking midfielder had two loan spells in the 2022–23 campaign. The first was in League One at Milton Keynes Dons. In the first half of the season,
Barry made 22 appearances in the league itself, starting 13 of them and coming on from the bench. Barry began the season as a substitute in the opening game of the season and was introduced in the 71st minute in a 1-0 defeat to Cambridge United.
Barry started the next game in another 1-0 defeat, this time at the hands of Sheffield Wednesday. He got his first assist against Plymouth in October and scored his first and only goal in November against Derby County; MK Dons lost both games. Barry played 1096 league minutes. He also made 3 League Cup appearances (2 as a sub), played in 2 FA Cup games (1 as a sub), and made 2 cameo appearances in the Papa John’s Trophy. Louie Barry’s contribution was 1 goal and 2 assists, both in the league.
Louie Barry moved down a level in January and joined Salford City in League Two for the remainder of the season. Barry put in a Man of the Match performance at Barrow in a 1-1 draw in February and scored his first Salford City goal in March in a 4-3 defeat at Crewe.
Barry followed it up with an assist in the next encounter, a 3-1 victory at home against Doncaster. He would add his second Salford goal in April against Hartlepool in a 2-0 win. In the next one, Barry saw red in the following game, a 3-2 win at Walsall. Barry played 1030 minutes, playing 21 times, 12 of them starts. Barry had a more successful second half, but he could still do more. He scored twice and got an assist for Salford. He played a total of 2233 minutes for the season as a whole.
Lamare Bogarde
The 19-year-old from the Netherlands was given the green light in January to go and enjoy some men’s football. The youngster switched from Bodymoor Heath’s academy for Joey Barton’s League 1 outfit at Bristol Rovers.
Needless to say, Bogarde has impressed the Rovers manager in his loan spell at the club. Bogarde began life at Bristol Rovers on the bench and made his debut with just four minutes remaining in a 2-0 defeat to MK Dons. Another game coming on as a sub in the next one against Lincoln City, he found himself getting 15′ minutes this time around. Lamare Bogarde then started the next 15 games and got a regular spot in the starting X1.
The centre-back showed his versatility by playing all the games for Bristol Rovers in centre midfield. Lamare Bogarde played a total of 1261 minutes in 18 appearances; only three of those were from the bench.
Ben Chrisene
The left-back joined Kilmarnock on a season-long loan in Scotland. The 19-year-old made a total of 13 appearances, 11 of which were starts. Chrisene also proved to be versatile, as he played not only in his natural left-back position but also as a defensive midfielder and on the left side of midfield.
It was actually on the left side of midfield that he played his best game for Killie. Chrisene started the first game of the season against Motherwell and played the full 90′ minutes. They won 2-1. The youngster’s season unfortunately came to an end, and he missed from January onwards due to suffering a serious knee injury. It was a shame, as he was performing well and impressing the Kilmarnock manager. Ben Chrisene played a total of 1049 minutes.
Filip Marschall
The Polish goalkeeper began the season at his parent club, Aston Villa, playing in the Premier League 2 for the U21s and making three appearances between the sticks in the EFL Trophy.
Filip Marschall made an appearance on the Aston Villa first-team bench as an unused substitute in the 3-1 defeat at home to Liverpool on Boxing Day. In the January transfer window, the 20-year-old joined Gateshead, the team he played for in the 2021/22 season.
Filip Marschall returned to familiar surroundings in the National League and had a disheartened first game back, scoring three goals in a 3-0 defeat to Wrexham. Marschall helped his side to a 2-1 win over Wealdstone in the next one, though, and got a clean sheet in a 2-0 victory over Solihull Moors. The shot-stopper made 20 appearances for Gateshead, scoring 21 goals and completing eight clean sheets in a total of 1800′ minutes. Filip Marschall banked an overall total of 2,474′ minutes of football for the campaign. He was an unused substitute in the FA Trophy Final’s 1-0 defeat to Halifax Town on May 21st.
Hayden Lindley
The 20 year old midfielder joined League Two side, Newport County on a season-long loan on the 1st of September. Lindley’s summer move was his first loan spell since coming through the ranks at Villa Park.
The FA Youth Cup winner had captained the Villa under 23’s and this was his opportunity to gain some experience in a first-team environment.
Lindley made just 5 appearances for Newport and 3 of those were starts; He banked just 246 minutes in total for the Exiles. Lindley was always around the first team until the Newport County manager, James Rowberry was sacked and Hayden didn’t get a look-in since.
On the 29th of December, Lindley’s loan was cut short and he returned to Aston Villa for the second half of the season.
Viljami Sinisalo
The 21-year-old Finnish goalkeeper began the 2022–23 campaign on loan to League One side Burton Albion. Sinisalo was brought to the side as a backup to their number one and featured regularly in the matchday squad.
However, he made eight appearances for Burton; the first game Sinisalo started between the sticks was in the EFL Cup, A first-round exit at the hands of League Two side Rochdale, losing 2-0 with two late goals. Sinisalo started four league games as well as that EFL Cup game and also got a clean sheet in the first round of the FA Cup, with Burton beating non-league side Needham Market by two goals to nil. Sinisalo played twice in the EFL Trophy too. He played a total of 720′ minutes for Burton.
During his time at the Brewers, Sinisalo earned his first senior International call-up to the Finnish national side.
Viljami returned to Villa for the second half of the season and featured in the matchday squad often, mainly on the bench. He played two Premier League games for the Villa U21s, collecting two clean sheets.
Brad Young
The Solihull 20-year-old joined the Scottish Championship on a season-long loan at Ayr United after competing four times for the Aston Villa U21s.
The striker made 11 appearances in the league, playing 612′ minutes. He scored two league goals and got two league assists in his loan spell at Ayr. After initially being introduced from the bench in his first two games, Young started his first game and made an impact in a 5-0 thrashing over Queens Park, getting his first senior goal and an assist. He also made an appearance in the SFA Cup, playing 62′ minutes in a 1-0 victory over Pollok FC.
The Aston Villa man returned to his parent club after spending half the campaign with Ayr United and would once again feature for the young lions.
Tyreik Wright
The right-winger began the season on loan at Bradford City in League Two. The Republic of Ireland Under-21 International joined the Bantams in September and enjoyed an impressive stint, contributing four goals and two assists in 17 appearances in all competitions.
Wright made his debut from the bench against Walsall in a 2-1 win. He would be introduced again in his second game as a substitute in another 2-1 win, this time against Tranmere. Tyreik Wright would get his first start and impress, getting his first assist for the club before getting on the scoresheet himself in a 5-0 win. His performance earned him the Man of the Match award. He played 1123 minutes in 15 league appearances, 12 of them starts, and only three from the bench.
Tyreik Wright returned to Villa Park in January to be sold to League One side Plymouth Argyle, where he would help them get promoted to the Championship. Wright never played for the Aston Villa first team, but I wish him well and hope he strives in the Championship next season.
Kaine Kessler-Hayden
A lot of promise was put on the shoulders of right-back Kaine Kessler-Hayden at the beginning of the campaign. If you don’t believe me, ask Justin.
The 20-year-old impressed in the previous season and, on August 12, was loaned out to Championship side Huddersfield Town. Kaine Kessler-Hayden made 15 appearances for the championship side in all competitions. Kaine made his debut against Stoke in a more advanced role in right midfield and played the full 90′ minutes in a 3-1 win. He’d play the full 90 minutes in the next two games too before being used as a sub in the next couple.
Bizarrely, after being unused against Cardiff, Kessler-Hayden was in and out of the squad. He wasn’t named in the squad in 7 out of 8 matches. Kaine had his best spell for Huddersfield in December, scoring his first Huddersfield goal in a 2-1 win over Preston on Boxing Day. Then, just three days later, he was named Man of the Match and got an assist in a 2-0 win over Rotherham.
Kaine Kessler-Hayden played 884′ minutes in the Championship and returned to Aston Villa in January, cutting his loan spell short. He’d play in Premier League 2 for the U21s for the remainder of the season.
Morgan Sanson
The French central midfielder wasn’t named in the matchday squad for the first six games. It wasn’t until September 16th that Sanson’s name would appear in the matchday squad against Southampton.
Morgan Sanson became a regular name on the team sheet for seven games in a row, but he wasn’t used on the pitch. On the 6th of November, in Unai Emery’s first Aston Villa game, he introduced Sanson with just a minute to spare in the 3-1 win over Manchester United. Sanson would again go off the bench until he got a rare start in the FA Cup in January in the shocking 2-1 defeat against Stevenage, in which Sanson scored for Villa. Sanson would then get another nine-minute cameo from the bench in a 2-1 win against Leeds United before being loaned out.
On the 23rd of January, Morgan Sanson went back to France to join former Aston Villa teammate Frederic Guilbert at Strasbourg. Sanson got some important gametime, making 18 appearances and playing 1,431′ minutes in Ligue 1. He played just over an hour—65 minutes to be exact—in each of his first three games for Strasbourg. In the third game, Sanson got an assist in a 2-0 win over Montpellier. Sanson got his first and only goal for Strasbourg in a 2-1 defeat at home to Lyon. Sanson scored once and assisted on two goals in his time at Strasbourg.
Bertrand Traore
Bertrand Traore wasn’t part of Steven Gerrard’s plans at the beginning of the season, and he was loaned out to Turkish side Istanbul Basaksehir.
Traore made 12 appearances in the Super League for Istanbul, five of those from the bench and playing 688′ minutes. Traore scored twice and got one assist during his loan spell. He got off to a flying start, getting an assist in his first game against Alanyaspor in a 2-0 win. In the second game against Besiktas, Traore scored the only goal of the contest, as Istanbul won 1-0. Unfortunately for Bertrand, he picked up a knee injury in January, thus putting an end to his loan spell in Turkey.
Unai Emery had a different idea and wanted Bertrand Traore on the Aston Villa side. Traore was still recovering from the knee injury, but Emery thought it was more beneficial to have Traore when he was fit and ready to go. Traore joined the matchday squad on the bench in February against Arsenal and was an unused sub in the next two games afterwards. Traore came on in a 1-1 draw against West Ham and played the last 26′ minutes. With just five minutes left and the sides level at 1-a-piece, Traore was introduced to score the winner away at Leicester, a 2-1 win. Traore followed it up with the opening goal against Nottingham Forest, a tasty curler past Navas in a 2-0 victory.
Traore would play his last game of the season against Wolves in a 1-0 defeat; he was an unused sub for the final three games. Traore scored twice for Villa in the second half of the season.
Wesley
On July 24, Brazilian Wesley joined Spanish side Levante in La Liga 2 on a season-long loan. The 26-year-old forward made 36 appearances for Levante, scoring three times and getting two assists.
Wesley also made four appearances in the Copa Del Rey, scoring once. Over the course of the season, Wesley played 1,753′ minutes. This was an opportunity to showcase what he can do, but he was unable to capitalise. He scored his first goal in Europe in just over three years in January, when he headed home to seal a dramatic 3-2 win over Getafe in Spain’s Copa Del Rey.
Wesley didn’t get his first La Liga 2 goal until April, and that was against CD Mirandes in a 2-1 defeat.
Caleb Chukwuemeka
The 21-year-old joined League Two side Crawley Town on September 1st, 2022, on a season-long loan. Chukwuemeka made a total of 14 appearances, playing just 595′ minutes in all competitions.
Caleb played ten times in the league, once in the FA Cup, once in the EFL Cup, and got an assist in one of his two appearances in the EFL Trophy. The centre-forward didn’t feature in the matchday squad for a large portion of the season.
AUTHOR | MIKE SCULLY
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