If there is one young striker in the game right now who is one of the hottest properties in England, it is Cameron Archer.

The forward is wanted by a whole host of clubs on a loan deal this offseason, with Preston keen for a reunion, Middlesbrough eager to take him on a short-term deal and even Rangers eyeing a bid to take him to Scotland.

All three of the clubs have been keenly watching on and waiting for the go-ahead as to whether they can make another transfer move for the youngster this summer. Now, the player himself has spoken to the club's official website about his future and revealed that a decision could be made once the tour of Australia is done for Villa.

The striker has only burst onto the scene within the last season or so, with Aston Villa giving him a few chances to shine. He managed three league games for his current side in the 2021/22 season, with more games handed to him in the cups than in the Premier League.

It led to the 20-year-old being sent out to PNE for the second half of the campaign and the forward shone. In 20 games for the club during the player's time there, he managed a haul of seven goals and one assist.

Now that the forward has shown what he is capable of in the Championship, there are teams queuing up to add him to their ranks. However, speaking to the club's official website, he said that a decision will likely only be made on his future and where he will play when the club's pre-season tour of Australia is done.

He said: "He said at the start [Steven Gerrard] that he'll let me know whether I'll go on loan or not at the end of Australia's tour. So I'm going to try my best to impress him.

"Obviously I'd prefer to play here but whether I need to go out on loan to play games, that's what young players need, so we'll see."

The Verdict

Cameron Archer has already proven he can be a really shrewd signing for anyone who can land him next season, even if it is only on loan.

The striker was excellent for Preston last season and has shown that he can take on the Championship and be one of the most exciting players in his position in the entire division. If he was capable of such brilliance in just half a season with PNE, it's incredible what the player could be capable of given a full season of gametime.

Aston Villa may very well end up keeping him at the club as a striking option themselves this Premier League season. Based on his showings in the club's pre-season, it wouldn't be too much of a surprise if he was.

Still though, Middlesbrough, Preston and Rangers will all be hoping that Steven Gerrard gives a loan deal the go-ahead so that they can benefit from a player like Archer being in their ranks.