Luka Lynch leaves West Brom and signs for Aston Villa – report
West Brom under-16’s star Luka Lynch has left the club and joined Aston Villa’s academy, making him the fifth star to swap clubs in recent times, according to Birmingham Mail.
The young midfielder was recently named on the bench for the under-18’s side but will now swap the blue and white stripes for claret and blue.
Villa have made it their mission to sign the best local talent to their academy and Lynch now joins former Baggies Triston Rowe, Finley Thorndike, Tim Iroegbunam and Finn Azaz.
West Brom have struggled in the Championship this season and Steve Bruce’s appointment hasn’t coincided with opportunities for youth players.
But with Villa giving academy stars like Jacob Ramsey, Carney Chukwuemeka a run in the first-team, it’s clear there is more of a path across the Midlands currently which is appealing to the youth.
Struggle
There’s a power struggle in the Midlands right now, but West Brom are really struggling to keep pace with their Premier League rivals.
Villa have made youth development a priority recently and are looking to bring in as much local talent as possible, with the club’s trajectory on the way up.
Unfortunately for the Baggies, their trajectory is the opposite and they are struggling to convince anyone that the opposite is true.
There is no clear pathway into the first-team currently and manager Bruce is hardly known as the messiah for giving youth products a chance in the first-team.
The club need to find a way to establish that path to ensure that youngsters don’t feel they’re playing their way into a cul de sac with no opportunity to truly make it in the first-team.
There are still gems in the club’s system that want to make it, so it’s all about supplying the right process to give them that opportunity while getting their own Premier League status back to make them more attractive too.
In other West Brom news, View: Key man returns, Steve Bruce to alter system – West Brom predicted XI vs Hull