Birmingham City have confirmed that Fran Villalba has left the club to join Sporting Gijon on a season-long loan.

The Spaniard joined Blues in the summer of 2019 but despite showing flashes of his ability, the winger was shipped out halfway through his first campaign to Almeria on a temporary basis.

Another stint with the La Liga 2 side followed last season but Villalba returned to the West Midlands for pre-season.

However, he clearly isn't in Lee Bowyer's plans, with Blues blessed with plenty of wide options at the club. Therefore, another move always seemed likely and the club announced Villalba's exit this evening.

The 23-year-old leaves on a season-long loan, but the reality is that he's probably played his last game for Birmingham as his deal expires next summer.

With that in mind, many fans don't see the point of a loan as it means Villalba is likely to leave on a free, with the club picking up no fee. Here we look at some of the reaction from Twitter...