Aston Villa boss Unai Emery will give Cameron Archer a chance to impress with the club in the summer after his productive loan spell at Middlesbrough.

Will Villa sell Cameron Archer?

It was surprising to see the Premier League side let Archer leave in January, particularly as Danny Ings joined West Ham in the same month. That left Ollie Watkins as the only senior number nine at Villa Park, with Jhon Duran as backup.

Nevertheless, it was decided that Archer’s development was best served by playing regularly, and it’s a decision that has paid off.

The England U21 international has been outstanding with Boro, scoring 11 goals and registering six assists in 20 games to help them into the play-off places.

Therefore, it’s already been reported that Michael Carrick wants to keep the striker on Teesside if the side win promotion, with a potential £20m deal on the cards.

However, it seems Villa will be in no rush to cash in on their academy graduate, as The Athletic reporter Gregg Evans revealed the stance of the Spanish boss over the 21-year-old.

“Emery is looking forward to having him around in pre-season. Could be a big year ahead for the striker.”

Archer’s immediate focus will be on helping Boro over the line in their promotion bid. He is sure to be in the XI on Sunday as Carrick’s men take on Coventry City away from home in their semi-final first-leg.

Cameron Archer Middlesbrough

Archer has a bright future ahead of him

In truth, it was a surprise that Villa let Archer go in January, as the lack of options in attack meant he could have had a few opportunities in the Premier League, and he would have had the chance to work with Emery on a day-to-day basis. But, the decision was made, and you can’t say it’s a bad call given how well Villa have done, along with Archer.

He has been a class act in the Championship, not only with his deadly finishing, but the number of assists shows he is also a player who links up well with his teammates in the final third.

With that in mind, it’s no surprise at all that Villa are going to give him a chance to impress in pre-season, and many who have seen him play will feel that he is capable of making his mark with Villa next season. But, first things first, Archer will be concentrating on firing Boro to the Premier League, which will do him no harm ahead of his return to Villa.