Cameron Archer has 19 goals in two half seasons in the Championship spanning the last two years – and now the Villa prospect is pushing for first-team involvement
Cameron Archer has been challenged to break into the Aston Villa first-team – or, failing that, gain Premier League experience on loan elsewhere. Archer returns to Bodymoor Heath this summer having, with Jacob Ramsey, helped England under 21s win the European Championship by scoring a couple of goals.
Archer, 21, spent the second half of last year on loan at Middlesbrough, where he bagged 11 goals and chipped in with six assists in just 23 appearances in all competitions. That followed an impressive haul of seven goals in 20 outings for Preston North End the year before.
Having initially been kept around by Steven Gerrard in the first half of last season, it remains unclear what role Unai Emery has for Archer ahead of the new campaign; Villa have added to their midfield and strengthened their defence so far in the transfer window, but forward thinking options are on Emery’s mind now.
The Spaniard got more than a tune out of Ollie Watkins, who rattled in 14 of his 16 strikes last year under Emery’s tutelage. Villa also recruited Jhon Duran, a Colombian prospect, for just under £15m in the January transfer window, so Archer would have to displace a couple of players ahead of him if he were to fight his way into Villa’s Premier League starting XI, but they will need the extra depth if they’re to go far in the Europa Conference League this campaign.
Archer, for former Villa defender Alan Hutton’s money, has nothing left to prove in the Championship, and he believes that if he can’t get enough minutes in the Lions’ first team set-up at present, then sourcing top flight experience elsewhere – perhaps with one of the newly promoted teams, for example – should be something that Archer and Villa must consider.
“Maybe [they move him on] but the question to ask is, ‘where does he go?’ Will he go to a top-six team? I don’t think so,” Hutton told Villa News. That’s not me saying I can’t see it but in the future, he might. Moving forward, his best opportunity would be to try and break into the Aston Villa team or go out on loan again at a higher level to get experience of playing week in, week out.
Is there a team that’s been promoted that he could go to and thrive at? That could be the next level for him to progress. We’ll have to wait and see but I always like to see young players breaking into the first team. It’s brilliant for the fans as well, so hopefully he can do that.”
Villa have shown their intent ahead of the new season with the big-money signing of Pau Torres, and the canny free signing of Youri Tielemans.
There’s also the small matter of a European campaign as Villa prepare to battle with other teams from abroad.
The aim is simple, to finish the highest they have done for some time in the Premier League, and to compete for trophies.
There are exciting visions on and off the field at Villa and this season is the perfect time to realise some of the club’s ambitions.
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