Aston Villa striker Cameron Archer made his first foray into the EFL last season when he joined Preston North End on a half-season loan in January - and it was a move that saw his stock rise exponentially.

With his only regular experience of men's football beforehand being a non-league loan to Solihull Moors, the forward grasped the opportunity with both hands at Deepdale and netted seven goals in 20 appearances before heading back to fight for a first-team spot at Villa Park.

It's been a tough season so far for the 20-year-old though, who has been restricted to just six cameo appearances off the bench in the Premier League, totalling 44 minutes as he wasn't perhaps given the chances he deserved under previous boss Steven Gerrard.

And despite coming off the bench this past weekend against Brighton for new boss Unai Emery, Archer is believed to still favour a loan move away from Villa Park in the January transfer window according to BirminghamLive, mirroring his exit from the club earlier in the year.

 

 

 

 

That could bring a boat-load of Championship clubs to the fore, including PNE, who made an enquiry late on in the summer window, only to be knocked back.

Watford were also keen on Archer as part of a deal for Ismaila Sarr, whilst the youngster was also a top target for Vincent Kompany of Burnley, but the Belgian was ultimately unsuccessful.

The Verdict

One Championship club is going to get very lucky this summer if Archer's temporary departure is sanctioned.

That is presuming of course he heads to the EFL and not abroad, as it's perfectly feasible that Unai Emery and loans manager Mile Jedinak would prefer the striker to be tested in a top domestic league instead.

For the likes of Burnley and Watford though, who are financial powerhouses in the Championship, it gives them extra encouragement to get a deal done in January following their initial interest, although with Jay Rodriguez and Keinan Davis at their respective clubs, his path to action could be blocked.

At PNE though it would be different - they are in desperate need of a striker and whilst Ryan Lowe does not have the Gerrard link anymore, Villa could see the progression he made at Deepdale last season as a good thing and send him back to Lancashire.