Villa confirm talented starlet’s exit in touted £9m move

Aston Villa have confirmed that Tim Iroegbunam has left the club to join Everton, in a deal believed to be worth around £9m.

The 20-year-old midfielder emerged as one of our top talents from the Academy after joining the club in 2021, and after a loan spell at QPR in the 2022/23 campaign, it had been hoped that he would go on to establish himself in our senior squad.

READ MORE: Key development as Villa edge closer to completing swap deal

Although a regular presence in the matchday squad last season after an initial spell on the sidelines due to injury, Iroegbunam made just 15 appearances in the campaign in what proved to be a very limited role.

As per the club’s official statement, we’ve now opted to move him on as he joins Everton this summer, with Fabrizio Romano reporting that the Toffees have paid £9m to acquire his services, while Lewis Dobbin will join us as part of the deal.

Ultimately, it is a shame to bid farewell to a top prospect with a bright future ahead of him, as there is arguably a space for Iroegbunam in the squad moving forward as we continue to try and compete on multiple fronts year in and year out.

However, the combination of it being a smart PSR-driven sale given Villa’s current concerns over balancing our books before the end of the month in order to avoid the threat of a sanction, coupled with Iroegbunam’s limited impact last season even when Unai Emery had very few options in midfield due to injury and suspension, suggest that this is the right move for all concerned.

Naturally, amid intense speculation that Douglas Luiz is set to depart this summer too, the Villa midfield will be an area of real focus for Emery, Monchi and the Villa recruitment team, and so while we wish Iroegbunam well in the future, it will be interesting to see how we upgrade and improve the squad by the end of the transfer window.

Enzo Barrenechea is expected to arrive as part of the deal that takes Luiz to Juventus, and so we are likely to see players arrive who fit Emery’s style better, and have the technical ability and all-round game to be a controlling influence in midfield on a consistent basis to play the way he wants us to both domestically and in Europe.