Aston Villa set to sign player once deemed one of the best youngsters in England

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Aston Villa have reportedly signed a player once described as one of the best youngsters in England.

Fabrizio Romano has been keeping Villans fans updated over the past day or so with news about Lino Sousa‘s seemingly imminent move to B6.

The transfer insider declared “here we go” on Sousa to Villa on Wednesday afternoon, saying Arsenal and the Villans had reached an agreement over a permanent move.

And on Thursday morning, Romano took to X to report that “all documents” regarding Sousa’s move have been signed, effectively making him a Villa player.

The Villans will subsequently loan the 19-year-old out to Championship side Plymouth Argyle, added the transfer insider.

“All documents have been signed for Lino Sousa to join Aston Villa from Arsenal on contract valid until June 2028,” wrote Romano.

“Same for contracts ahead of loan to Plymouth until the end of current season, it’s all sealed.”

At the time of writing, no official updates had come out regarding Sousa’s move to Villa, but it looks as though it’s imminent now.

Aston Villa set to sign ‘outstanding’ talent Lino Sousa from Arsenal

Villans fans should be excited about the prospect of Sousa being on their books and, as of next season, in the squad.

On social media, some Arsenal fans have been expressing their dismay at Sousa being sold, as they feel he’s a top talent with a bright future.

When Arsenal signed Sousa from West Bromwich Albion back in 2022, The Sun branded him as Jordi Alba 2.0.

They claimed he’s ‘in the mould’ of the Barcelona defender, who was one of the best left-backs in the world during his prime.

Meanwhile, The Athletic reported that people at West Brom felt Sousa is ‘outstanding’ and ‘among the best in the country’ at his age level.

It didn’t take the player long to make his mark at youth level for Arsenal, clocking up 52 Gunners appearances for the Under-18s and Under-21s.

This season, Sousa has made 14 appearances for Arsenal at youth level, also registering three goals in the process.

Arsenal youth team expert Jeorge Bird wrote: “A hugely talented left-back, Sousa continued to make impressive progress during his first full season at Arsenal.

“A player who is effective both defensively and in an attacking sense, Sousa looks to have a bright future ahead of him.”

All in all, Sousa looks like an exciting acquisition for Aston Villa, and it’ll be exciting to see how he fares at Plymouth this season and then in claret-and-blue next term.