This article is part of Football League World's 'The Verdict' series, which provides personal opinions from the FLW writers regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Birmingham City playmaker Fran Villalba has left the Blues and returned to Spain with Almeria on loan until the end of the season, with the Segunda Division side having an option to make the deal permanent, it has been confirmed on the club website.

The 21-year-old was initially a regular in Pep Clotet’s starting XI and scored once in 17 Championship appearances, having joined Blues from Valencia over the summer on a free transfer. He becomes the fifth player to leave the club this month.

So are Birmingham right to let Villalba leave, or should they have tried to keep him?

We discuss.........

Chris Gallagher

"It probably was in truth.

"There's no doubt that Villalba has talent but he just didn't perform on a consistent basis and the arrival of Jeremie Bela, who looks an upgrade, has limited his chances a lot in recent months.

"Plus, the fact the player has chosen to leave after just six months suggests that he wasn't totally happy in England and he certainly didn't want to fight for his place and that attitude may not have gone down well.

"It could be something they regret down the line though because the Spaniard is only 21 and it was clear that he does have ability but Blues need someone to make an instant impact and he's not the man to do that. It's the one area of the pitch that Birmingham are well-stocked in so one winger had to leave this month in reality."

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Josh Cole

“This is an odd one as Villalba unquestionably possesses a wide array of skills which has illustrated sparingly this season.

“Having never played in the Championship before making his move to St Andrew’s last summer, it was always going to be difficult for the attacking midfielder to adjust to the pace and the power that the league is famed for.

“Nevertheless, Villalba did show occasional signs of promise in the second-tier which suggested that he could potentially thrive at this level if given the chance to play regularly by Clotet.

“However, after failing to make an appearance since Birmingham’s 3-0 defeat to Hull City in December, it came as no surprise when the 21-year-old moved to Almeria yesterday.”

George Harbey

"I think that it is the right move for both parties to let Villalba spend the rest of the season back in Spain, and it could allow Pep Clotet to strengthen his squad with fresh faces before the window slams shut on Friday.

"Big things were expected of Villalba when he arrived at St. Andrew's in the summer, and his start to the season was really impressive indeed - it looked as if Blues had pulled off somewhat of a transfer masterstroke.

"But in my view, Villalba has failed to get to grips with the physicality of the Championship and English football in general, and he needs to get back to his best during his loan spell away from the club.

"Blues will need to replace that creative spark sooner rather than later, though, as that's one thing Villaba does bring to the team - an ability to get the ball down and spot that killer pass when it matters."