Aston Villa winger leaves just weeks after signing for the club

Aston Villa has confirmed that Samuel Iling-Junior has joined Italian club Bologna on a season-long loan.

The 20-year-old English midfielder only joined Villa from Juventus at the start of July but has now been allowed to join Bologna in order to gain more playing time and to improve his development. Iling-Junior featured during Villa's pre-season fixtures but has been deemed surplus to requirements, for now.

The move is a clever one for both parties however. Iling-Junior will join a club that, like Villa, are going to be competing in this season's UEFA Champions League. This means whilst he will gain more opportunities to play he will also gain vital experience playing in Europe's most elite competition ahead of a return to Aston Villa next season.

Potential transfer implications following this news

Iling-Junior becomes the second new signing this summer to leave the club after Lewis Dobbin joined West Brom on loan. It also looks a real possibility that new midfielder Enzo Barrenechea could leave on loan before the end of the transfer window this week, with Lazio and fellow Serie A clubs showing interest.

As a result of these outgoings, alongside the sale of Cameron Archer to Southampton and the loan of Alex Moreno to Nottingham Forest, there is the ever-growing thought that room is being made in the squad to bring in a new player or two this week.

Following the news that Matty Cash will miss at least the next four weeks through injury, the fans are crying out for the club to sign a new right-sided defender. Villa only have one right-back remaining in the squad (minus Cash) in 18-year-old Kosta Nedeljkovic and his lack of experience will be difficult to rely on if the club don't bring in a new right-back. It is understood that a deal for Feyenoord defender Lutsharel Geertruida is being pushed after initial negotiations began weeks ago.

Aston Villa's squad currently has 25 players (as seen in the tweet above) which is the limit for both the Premier League and the Champions League. Following the collapse of the deal that would have seen Diego Carlos sign for Fulham, the task of brining in a new defender was made much more difficult. Unless Carlos is move on before the transfer deadline later this week it is likely that Barrenechea will need to be loaned out to make room for a new signing or Villa will not conduct any more business.

UTV