Eyebrows were raised when Samuel Iling-Junior headed back to Italy shortly after joining Aston Villa this summer – but the Chelsea academy graduate is determined to carve a way into Unai Emery’s plans.
The 21-year-old left west London in 2020 to join Juventus but returned to England in a £11.6m move this summer, with his teammate Enzo Barrenechea joining him and Brazil international Douglas Luiz heading the other way to Turin.
Less than two months after putting pen to paper on a five-year contract, Iling-Junior was on his way back to Serie A with Bologna on a season-long loan deal.
It marked a short and sweet return to England for the London-born winger but he is confident he has a role to play at Villa after being made to feel “wanted” during negotiations.
“You always want to feel wanted and have conversations with the people around you,” he told Sky Sports.
“Especially being part of a swap deal, you want to know you’re not just a part of it and are someone that is wanted by the club. Aston Villa made me feel that way.”
Asked if a loan move was always the plan for him after joining, he added: “Not necessarily but towards the end, yeah.”
That ‘end’ was his 185 minutes in pre-season against Walsall, FC Spartak Trnava, Columbus Crew and RB Leipzig, where Emery had an opportunity to analyse his fit in the squad.
“It was more about seeing the progression of my career and my development,” he continued. “I could have had another year where I was coming off the bench and not getting as many minutes as I would like.
“So I spoke to the coach and we decided it was best for me to go on loan.”
Welcome to Birmingham from Bellingham
Despite only being in the Second City momentarily, Iling-Junior was made to feel welcome by his close friend Jude Bellingham, who followed a similar path after rising through the ranks at Birmingham City before pursuing a move overseas to Borussia Dortmund and eventually Real Madrid.
On their conversations after joining, which did not include any pleasantries about the Villa and Birmingham divide, he said: “We had a little conversation in the summer, and he said anything in Birmingham, just give him a call!”
Replicating Rogers
Bellingham was not the only player calling, either. Iling-Junior’s new Villa teammate Morgan Rogers wasted no time in getting in touch when links regarding a possible switch with Luiz emerged in the summer.
“When he heard the news he messaged me straight away and asked me what was going on,” Iling-Junior said regarding Rogers. “I kept him on his toes a bit but in the end, he was buzzing!”
Rogers joined the club last January from Middlesbrough and has enjoyed a meteoric rise in the senior squad, making 26 appearances across all competitions and transforming himself into one of the first names on the team sheet under the guidance of Emery.
That is a pathway Iling-Junior is planning on replicating.
When asked about his England U21 teammate and Jaden Philogene, who is another young prospect seeing first-team minutes in claret and blue, Iling-Junior said: “Two different pathways but both made it into the Aston Villa team – and I’m looking to join them soon as well.”
Chance to impress at Villa Park
As highlighted by Iling-Junior, every pathway is different.
However, not many players are faced with the odd situation of completing a transfer and their first outing at Villa Park arriving in the colours of another team.
Due to no rule currently being in place from UEFA, Iling-Junior is free to face his parent club when the two sides meet in the Champions League on Tuesday night.
Philippe Coutinho, who is still on the books at Villa, famously netted a quick-fire double for Bayern Munich against Barcelona after being allowed to leave on loan by the Spanish giants in 2020.
His celebrations on the evening were muted and Iling-Junior has promised to do the same if he does score on Tuesday, although he is primarily viewing it as an opportunity to showcase his talents to the fans.
“Definitely not,” he said regarding a potential celebration with a wry smile. “Maybe a little bit but I won’t overdo it!
“It will be a good opportunity to show the fans what I can do and hopefully I get a warm welcome.”
Versatility for Villa
It is not the usual transfer blueprint but his temporary exit from the club should not deter away from the fact that Villa have a very exciting – and versatile – prospect amongst their ranks.
With Jacob Ramsey, Leon Bailey, John McGinn and Philogene all picking up injuries throughout the early stages of the season already, having someone capable of playing multiple positions like Iling-Junior at Emery’s disposal could be a very useful option moving forward.
“I think it depends on the formation and the manager’s tactics,” he said when quizzed about his favoured position.
“I see myself playing on the right, left or even left back. Those are the three key positions I can make a difference in. Sometimes in the middle of the park!
“Playing new positions at a high level has put me in a better position. Understanding them and fulfilling the manager’s demands, showing an impact in the game.”
Whether it arrives in attack or defence, one thing is certain – Iling-Junior is ready to do whatever it takes to succeed in claret and blue.