John Terry has urged Aston Villa to push through the January loan signing of Chelsea defender Ethan Ampadu, according to the Birmingham Mail.
The newspaper claim the Villa assistant manager is playing a role in the club’s winter window recruitment and has advised they make a move for the highly-rated young Wales international.
The Mail report the Midlands giants are weighing up a January loan swoop for Ampadu after making an enquiry for him over the summer window.
Good move for Aston Villa?
Yes, and it could be a brilliant one. Ampadu has yet to make his senior Chelsea bow, but has already accumulated four Wales caps and demonstrated signs this season that he could be destined for the very top. With his distinctive long dreadlocks, the 18-year-old stands out even without his immense quality and composure on the ball, which is so unusual for a player of his age. He can play either at centre-back or in central midfield, and is already in the thoughts of manager Maurizio Sarri after being named on the bench for a Europa League clash this season. Villa are in need of defensive reinforcements and Terry appears to think Ampadu can make the leap from youth team to Championship football. For many fans, that should be enough to push the club to try and do a deal.
This Is Futbol rating 7/10
Likely to happen?
Much, of course, depends on the stance of Sarri and Chelsea. If they are open to allowing Ampadu to go out on loan, then Villa are well placed to win the race, although there will be stiff competition from Frank Lampard and Chelsea. The Midlands giants have already secured the loan signing this season of Tammy Abraham, so they have a line of communication with the Premier League club.
This Is Futbol rating 5/10