Aston Villa to complete £8m project within months, West Brom were behind decision
Aston Villa’s new inter-city academy is set to be completed in August 2023 – and that could spell bad news for the likes of West Brom and Birmingham.
The Athletic report (16 March) the £8million site, which overlooks Villa Park, will house youngsters between the ages of five and 16 after the board identified a need to unearth some of the best local talents.
It’s believed Villa felt they were missing out to the likes of West Brom, Birmingham and Wolves due to their Bodymoor Heath base being 12 kilometres away from Villa Park. However, this news could have a negative impact on the Baggies moving forward.
West Brom’s training ground, just off the M6, is extremely accessible compared to the Villans’ base and could have been giving them the upper hand when it comes to poaching Birmingham’s best young talent.
However, Christian Purslow’s plans to bring Villa’s youth section closer to the centre of the city could have a dramatic impact on West Brom’s ability to attract younger players.
We have seen in the past staff and players make the move to the Premier League club and that could now happen earlier on in the development cycle.
It’s crucial Carlos Corberan looks to utilise his younger players during his tenure at the club. Youth prospects need to know they will be given first-team chances and the opportunity to develop. Josh Griffiths is the latest player who has been thrown into the Baggies’ Championship starting eleven.
First-team experience is absolutely essential and the young shot-stopper will be benefitting massively from a spell in the spotlight.
Everyone involved with West Brom will be desperate to avoid losing out on some of the brighter prospects in the West Midlands due to Villa’s new ambitious plan.
In other West Brom news, independent shareholders are on red alert watching Guochuan Lai keenly at the club as the deadline for his loan repayment approaches.