Aston Villa will loan out midfielder Finn Azaz to Newport County after signing him from West Brom, a report from Football Insider has claimed.

It was recently reported that Villa, who have already signed one young player from West Brom this summer in the form of Tim Iroegbunam, are now closing in on a deal for Azaz as well.

Now it seems as though the Premier League side have already made plans to ensure the 20-year-old gets regular game time next season.

According to this latest report, the midfielder will join Newport County on a temporary basis for the coming campaign.

Azaz spent last season on loan in League Two with Cheltenham, scoring three goals and providing two assists in 44 appearances in all competitions, to help the Robins to promotion to League One.

That was the 20-year-old's first taste of regular senior football, with Azaz having never made a first-team appearance for West Brom during his career.

The Verdict

I do think that this could be a sensible move for Aston Villa to make.

It does seem unlikely that Azaz would walk straight into Dean Smith's side upon his arrival at Villa Park, given both his lack of experience, and the quality he already has available to him.

As a result, a loan move to a club like Newport, where he should be able to continue his development with more regular first-team football, could be good for Azaz.

Indeed, given the role he played in Cheltenham's promotion last season, Azaz should also be a useful asset for Newport next season, as they look to go one better after their League Two play-off final defeat to Morecambe.