Former Aston Villa player Alan Hutton believes that Cameron Archer’s future lies in his own hands as he prepares to return to Aston Villa from his loan spell at Sheffield United.
Archer joined Sheffield United from Aston Villa last summer, with the deal reportedly including a buy-back clause contingent on Sheffield United avoiding relegation.
However, with the Blades officially relegated, Archer is poised to return to Aston Villa in the upcoming summer transfer window.
Hutton has emphasised that the upcoming pre-season will be crucial for Archer to impress Villa manager Unai Emery if he wants to secure a future at the club.
Despite his stint at Sheffield United, where Archer struggled to make a significant impact, Hutton believes that the player now has an opportunity to showcase his abilities to Emery during pre-season training.
In an interview with Villa News, Hutton said:
“I think the ball is in his court. It was always going to be difficult going to a team like Sheffield United and fair play to him for actually taking that step. They were always going to find it hard this season it just is what it is.
“They were a newly promoted team that was not spending loads of money to keep up with the teams around them, it was going to be hard. I think pre-season will be key for him.
“He’s had that opportunity and exposure to playing regular football in the Premier League and he now needs to show the manager that he’s capable of doing it in the Aston Villa team and doing what the manager asks of him.
“Pre-season he will go away with the team and the manager will be assessing him every single day and it’s up to him.
“If it doesn’t quite work out or the manager is looking somewhere else, then of course he’ll look to his different options but as I say, the ball is in his court.”
Sheffield United had a season to forget as they won just 3 Premier League games all season. They drew 7 and lost 26, becoming the first team to be relegated this season.
With Villa aiming for European football, Emery will be seeking to bolster the squad with proven talent, potentially diminishing Archer’s chances of securing a prominent role at the club.
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