Tim Iroegbunam's potential availability from Aston Villa may have been the reason manager Nigel Pearson has softened his stance on loan signings this summer.
On Friday, it was reported by the Birmingham Mail how Bristol City were one of the Championship clubs circling the 19-year-old tough-tackling defensive midfielder - one of the key areas of the field Pearson has yet to address this season.
Given City's financial state, Pearson last season was reluctant to bring players to the club on temporary deals, sharing his concerns over having to guarantee them minutes and their value for money considering they're not owned by the club.
On Friday, the manager admitted he is "not ruling out loans at all, far from it." He also went as far as to say they have been in contact with Premier League clubs to explore the possibility of certain players.
For that reason alone and the fact City are in the market for a defensive midfielder, the links to Iroegbunam would make sense. For many fans outside of Aston Villa and West Brom, the player would be relatively unknown but by the end of next season that may not be the case.
It's an accolade in itself that Steven Gerrard can recognise Iroegbunam's potential by handing him his Premier League debut last season. If he can go on to have half the career the Villa manager enjoyed then he is set for a very bright future in the game.
Before that, let's go to the beginning and the reason why Villa made their move to sign Iroegbunam. In May 2021, he was named Albion's Marc Darcy Academy Player of the Season after starring in the club's Under-18 side in the middle of the park.
At the age of 17, he was named as an unused substitute in the Baggies' final Premier League game of the season at Leeds following their relegation to the Championship. Then came the short move across the Midlands to Villa.
Two years prior, Villa poached Academy Manager Mark Harrison from West Brom where he had been for over a decade. Iroegbunam would follow in his footsteps alongside Louie Barry who returned from Barcelona to join one of the most exciting academy set-ups in England.
Villa have an abundance of talent in their ranks, plenty who can dazzle on the pitch including brothers Jacob and Aaron Ramsey, Carney Chukwuemeka, Cameron Archer, Jaden Philogene-Bidace, Kaine Kesler and Dutch centre-back duo Lamare Bogarde and Sil Swinkels just to name a few.
It's an exciting time for Villa's future and Iroegbunam is likely to play a big part in that. He was no stranger to the substitute bench last season under Gerrard and it was a game against Brighton when he made his debut, replacing Philippe Coutinho late on. Gerrard had only been at the helm for four months by this point.
Two months later he was introduced in a 0-0 draw at Leicester with 14 minutes left to play before making his first start in a 2-0 victory over Norwich the following week.
So what does Gerrard see in the player? Well, he's very much a defensive midfielder, ordered to screen the back four and provide that extra layer of protection in front of the defence.
He's big and physically strong, not afraid to throw himself into the tackle - perhaps slightly rash at times as the booking against the Canaries would suggest. He keeps it simple with his passes and will rarely make a foray further forward tasked with sitting in the hole, intercepting play and retrieving possession.
He's aggressive in the press and can read the game well. He does have a couple of negatives to his game including he can be complacent with his passing at times and he's very quiet on the pitch, but at such a young age that can be expected.
When Gerrard joined Villa from Rangers, in November 2021 he wasted little time in integrating him into the first-team in which he impressed instantaneously. By March, Iroegbunam had signed a new long-term contract keeping him at the club until 2027 - more evidence of how highly the club rate him.
After handing Iroegbunam his full debut, Gerrard was full of praise for the player further detailing the type of player he is. He said: "I think you can see the profile, what he is going to become. He can get around the grass quickly, he can cover ground quickly, he’s aggressive.
"Normally he uses the ball really well. He had one or two moments within that, but I think that’s part of learning and growing. We trusted him in a big game today and gave him an opportunity.
"We sent a clear message to all of our academy that if you train well and you out-train certain individuals then you will get an opportunity. Everyday is vital for Tim now. He’s a real good professional, he needs to find his voice and come out of his shell now. We need him to realise that he is a first-team player. He needs to use his voice more, he needs to keep pushing himself on a daily basis.
"He’s got all the attributes to be a top Premier League player in my opinion. We’ll keep working to develop him, he’s got a real exciting future ahead of him. He needs to take confidence and belief from the trust and opportunities he has had in recent weeks and there will be plenty more for him if he keeps training consistently well."
Iroegbunam is at that stage of his career where he needs a regular run of first-team games to further help his development and Villa's summer signing of Boubacar Kamara means he is likely to play third fiddle behind the former Marseille man and Marvelous Nkamba - two players with very similar style on the pitch.
Last season, Villa sent Archer, Philogene-Bidace and striker Keinan Davis out on loan to the Championship so Gerrard is certainly keen for his young stars to develop in the second tier but Iroegbunam's move to City could be a deal that suits all parties.
There is the added question and pressure whether a 19-year-old with very limited first-team experience can be trusted with the responsibility of making the step up to what Pearson demands of his players. For example, Pearson was very outspoken about certain individual mistakes last season, almost ruthless in the way some players were taken out of the side.
Although Iroegbunam would have two first-class professionals to help him settle and adjust to City's way of playing in Matty James and Andy King, the latter beginning his role as a player/coach. Pearson said his previous reluctance to bring players in on loan was the lack of clear identity at the club.
With a full season under his belt and more time to engineer the type of squad and personalities he wants in the transfer windows, Pearson does feel more confident in ensuring a loan player can become a success among this squad of players.
City are likely to have plenty of competition for his signature with Sheffield United, Stoke City, Blackburn and Swansea all interested. QPR are also mentioned and they have a trump card in manager Michael Beale who served as assistant to Gerrard before his appointment at Loftus Road in June.
If the Robins can pull it off, then he's the exact type of player that City need allowing the likes of Alex Scott to push higher up the field and make an impact in more attacking positions. He will also give the wing-backs the freedom to bomb forward, something both Kane Wilson and Jay Dasilva would thrive from.
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