Stoke City have swooped to sing Jaden Philogene-Bidace from Aston Villa, as Michael O'Neill continues to strengthen his squad in the January transfer window.Â
O'Neill currently has Stoke sitting eighth in the Championship table, with the Potters' sights firmly set on breaking into the top-six as the division motors towards its final third.
Today, Stoke have swooped to pick up Philogene-Bidace from Premier League side, Aston Villa.
It's been confirmed that the winger will spend the remainder of the season with Stoke, with Steven Gerrard giving Philogene-Bidace's loan the green-light.
The 19-year-old debuted for Villa in May last year, featuring off the bench in a 2-1 win over Tottenham.
That was backed up with another cameo appearance in the win over Newcastle United in the Premier League at the start of this season, with 90 minutes swiftly following in the EFL Cup win over Barrow.
Philogene-Bidace's other appearances this season have come for the U21s in the EFL Trophy, with the winger netting a brace in a 3-1 win over Wycombe Wanderers on August 31st.
The majority of the winger's football has come at youth level, with six goals and four assists in only four games at Premier League 2 Division 2 level for the young Villans.
The VerdictÂ
This is an exciting signing for Stoke to complete this January.
Philogene-Bidace is, of course, quite raw still when it comes to his senior experience, but he's not been far away from the first-team picture at Villa Park really.
He's proved prolific with the U23s and the U21s, which will serve him well stepping into the Championship.
It will help that Stoke are challenging at the right end of the table, rather than scrapping for points at the bottom.
Thoughts? Let us know!Â