Glentoran under-17 midfielder Caolan McBride will join Premier League side Aston Villa next month. (Image Credits: Twitter)
According to Birmingham Mail, Aston Villa are planning to include Northern Ireland youngster Caolan McBride to their ranks next month.
The teenage midfielder currently plays for Irish top-flight side Glentoran’s under-17 side and has been training with their first team in the past 12 months.
The report also claims that 17-year-old McBride will be handed a three-year contract by Villa when he swaps Belfast for Villa Park. Having not yet featured for Glentoran’s first-team, McBride will join Aston Villa’s youth team, where he will undergo his development. The highly-rated midfielder, who is a part of Northern Ireland’s under-17 side, has so far made two appearances for his national side.
McBride played the whole 90 minutes for their under-17 side in the matches against Turkey and Luxemburg in the UEFA European Under-17 Championship qualification last October. With the side already filled with as many as six midfielders in their ranks, McBride’s chances of making it to the first-team line-up are going to be increasingly limited.
Villa have endured a difficult campaign in the Premier League this season and are on the brink of relegation just one season after achieving promotion from Championship. Villa are currently one spot ahead of bottom-placers Norwich City, having won just seven out of their 28 league matches so far.
Except for skipper Jack Grealish, none of the side’s players has impressed, which has been evident in the side’s dismal show in the league this season. Grealish remains the side’s top goalscorer and assist-provider in the league with 7 goals and 6 assists to his name.
However, his rare individual success has caught the eye of rivals Manchester United, who are now hot on his trail. Considering Villa’s displays this season, losing Grealish will hurt them badly next season.
Moreover, seasoned midfielders such as Conor Hourihane and Henri Lansbury are about to hit their 30s, meaning the side are in need of some talented new faces in the middle. Hence, Villa’s decision to rope in a rising talent like McBride seems like a step in the right direction.
Though he may not be their first-choice man in the near future, he could prove to be an excellent signing in the long run. Hence, they should continue their pursuit of McBride.
Aston Villa’s lack of talented midfielders could prove to be a big problem in the future and it would be wise of them to stock up their squad with young talents such as McBride. He is just 17 now and can develop further under the guidance of a coach like Dean Smith.
