Three young claret and blue players are rumored to be moving, according to the most recent Aston Villa transfer news from BirminghamLive.
Finn Azaz, an Aston Villa midfielder on loan, may be on the move once more as Stoke City’s new manager, Steven Schumacher, a former Plymouth Argyle manager, is searching for loan players.
Despite his injury, Azaz, whom Schumacher had signed on loan from Villa last summer, excelled as Argyle stormed to victory in League One. Preseason brought back for a second season, Villa may choose to call up Azaz in the middle of the campaign if they believe he is ready for the starting lineup.
His form hasn’t gone unnoticed as he has seven goals and five assists this season, including the opening goal in a 3-3 draw against Watford over the weekend. Championship clubs are interested in him, in part because of the uncertainty around his availability going forward. This year is when his Villa contract expires. Regarding Azaz, Schumacher has always been all praise, calling him the “most intelligent footballer, away from football” that he has ever encountered, with “outstanding game knowledge”.
Players on loan from Aston Villa and Wolves, such as Luke Cundle and Kaine Kesler-Hayden, may find themselves in a similar circumstance. But even before Schumacher arrived, Stoke planned to add more players to their roster in January. He will work with Ricky Martin and Jared Dublin to select new players.
“It’s not in my immediate plan right now to go ‘I’m going back to Argyle for their best players,'” Schumacher stated upon joining. That is not our approach. Like you might expect, this club has had a hiring procedure in place since the summer transfer window closed, just like Argyle.”
“So I have come into the building and they have shown me the targets that are on there. It’s not me coming in saying ‘I want this player now because I used to work with him’. It isn’t going to be like that, it’s more professional than that. It’s things that have gone on in the background before I arrived. I will go through the recruitment process with that team and we will work together to try to get the best players for Stoke City.”
The legendary Stoke player Mike Pejic, a former Plymouth coach himself, has also talked about the potential for—or allure of—going back for a familiar face. “It will be interesting to see if he brings any players in, whether that’s now or later,” he remarked. They all do it; Michael O’Neill even added Jordan Thompson from his Northern Ireland team, and Alex Neil signed Ben Pearson and Daniel Johnson. He will have people in his corner, but it’s crucial to keep in mind that players who fit in at one club might not fit in at another. Demands, styles, and times all shift.”
Despite his versatility, Azaz has spent much of the season playing at number eight in a 4-3-3 formation. This week, Plymouth is anticipated to name Schumacher’s replacement. proprietor
