Aston Villa have risen from the ashes left scattered in the wake of Steven Gerrard’s tenure at the club, having appointed success-driven manager Unai Emery and steering away from the chasm that is the Premier League relegation zone.
With Emery now utilising the midseason break, due to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, he will be assessing his entire squad with furrowed brows, looking to identify the best path to success for both his team and his individual players.
One such squad member is Cameron Archer, with the 20-year-old striker an attractive talent in Aston, having netted 17 times and providing seven assists in just 36 appearances for the Villa U21s before earning several chances for the seniors.
And scoring four times in just 13 appearances, he is certainly staking his claim for a shot at a regular place in the coming years.
This includes a memorable hat-trick in last season’s Carabao Cup, which the young ace achieved on his first start for the Claret and Blue during a 6-0 rout over lowly Barrow in the second round before netting in the third round against Chelsea.
However, at present, progress may be hindered should he remain at Villa Park, with a temporary departure perhaps the best avenue to continue to build his skillset and nurture his ability.
Indeed, the forward has played just 51 minutes of action across all competitions thus far, and according to Football Insider, there are a host of Championship outfits seeking to clinch the starlet for the remainder of the current term, with Sunderland looking to forge ahead and strike a deal.
Read Related Also: Paul Pelosi answered door to cops but did NOT say he was in distress, new police account claims
Sunderland, who achieved promotion to the second division earlier this year, are enjoying a steady campaign and look to be a step ahead of the scrambling pack at the bottom of the division.
Slotting Archer into the fray would provide a clinical offensive presence to complement a strike force that relies heavily on the 26-year-old Ross Stewart.
Whilst boasting young stars such as Jewison Bennette and loanee Ellis Simms, The Stadium of Light calls for a player to bring vibrancy and firepower to continue a climb toward the promotion places.
With just 43 Premier League minutes under his belt this year, Archer would do well in following suit of other young forwards, such as former Aston Villa loanee Tammy Abraham, in flourishing in England’s second tier before aiming sights toward the Premier League.
Archer has been catching the eye for some time now, despite his tender age, netting seven times in just 20 outings while on loan at Preston North End, with boss Ryan Lowe lauding his “abundance of talent”.
Having signed a new long-term contract with his club earlier this year, it is evident that the Villa hierarchy view his potential as something that can blossom over the coming years.
However, he cannot continue to keep eating up his time while sitting on the bench. At the moment his potential is being ruined by such a factor but a move to the northeast could just benefit all parties.
With Championship experience already under his belt, Archer might just be prudent to grasp the current opportunity to star for the Black Cats, and return to Villa Park ready to take the Premier League by storm.
