Aston Villa is buzzing as David Ornstein reveals the specifics of a fantastic assist maker’s behind-the-scenes deal.
We’re delighted to welcome former Aston Villa full-back Alan Hutton as our exclusive columnist. Each week he’ll be giving his views on the biggest talking points at Villa Park…
Alan Hutton is excited to see what Aston Villa’s new partnership with Japanese club Vissel Kobe can do for the Premier League club.
The Athletic journalist David Ornstein reported on Thursday (19 October) that Villa have entered a “strategic partnership” with the J1 League club with the aim for it to open a pathway for “top talent” to play for the West Midlands club.
It is understood that two Under-16 talents will make their way from the current Japanese league leaders to Villa Park to train with Aston Villa’s academy
Hutton has pointed out how well Celtic have done thanks to their influx of Japanese talent in the last few years while he also believes Villa’s approach of linking up with overseas clubs is akin to what Manchester City have been doing.
When asked if he’s excited by the news, Hutton told Villa News: “Absolutely.
“Celtic are a club you could look at and say they’ve done really well [signing players from Japan].
“Villa have links to teams in Egypt, Portugal and now Japan so they’re obviously trying to expand and make things better going forward.
“Youth players could be coming over and they could send them the other way as well.
“It’s obviously a mutual agreement that they can help each other. It ticks all the boxes – why wouldn’t you look far and wide for the next star?
“Overall, it’s a good idea. It’s something we’ll see more of moving forward. Manchester City showed everybody the blueprint of what to do and teams will be daft to not follow suit. It can work well for both teams if you get it right.
“ If you’ve got the next superstar coming through or a player who’s going to go onto the next level, Villa can think ‘let’s bring him over here to have a look’. Especially if they’re young. And then they’ll see if they can work them into what they’re doing. It’s a good pathway for youngsters all over the world.”
In other Aston Villa news, Louie Barry could be fighting for his future at Villa Park as his latest deal may be terminated early.
