In a recent interview with Football Insider, Frank McAvennie urged his former club Aston Villa to tie Cameron Archer down to a new contract as he is worried that some big clubs could come sniffing around if the Villans fail to secure his long-term future soon. McAvennie said,
“We have said this so many times.
“When you are a young player and you get given a chance, you have to take it.
“This boy (Archer) has done that. Over the last months, Smith will have been speaking to him.
“Telling him the usual, if you work hard you will get rewarded and it sounds like he’s about to see those rewards.
“He’s a top talent and they won’t want to lose him to some of the big clubs who come sniffing.
“He’s on their radar now so they need to get that sorted.”
Archer’s Impressive Form For The Villans This Season
The 20-year-old has come through the youth ranks of Aston Villa and has done well to break out as a first-team starter at Villa Park this season. Archer deserves a lot of praise for finding the back of the net on four occasions in four senior matches for the West Midlands outfit thus far.
The English striker had announced himself to the Villa supporters by putting in a couple of eye-catching displays for them recently. He has averaged 4.0 shots, 0.5 key passes and 1.5 dribbles per 90 minutes in the EFL Cup this season. He even distributed the ball relatively well after completing 77.3% of his attempted passes in league cup football (stats via whoscored).
Should Dean Smith Keep Archer At Villa Park For The Long Run?
Archer can pack some power with his shot attempts and is slowly transforming himself into a decent finisher in the final third. He can make a few energetic runs with the ball and is proficient at keeping possession ticking quite well in the opponent’s half.
However, Archer is still quite a raw talent and would need time to hone his skills and become a regular feature for the Villans in the Premier League someday. There is no denying that the future is quite bright for the English attacker as long as he is willing to work hard on improving himself in the training field.
At 20, Archer has got plenty of time to prove his worth at the highest level. Therefore, Smith would be wise to listen to McAvennie’s advice by tying the player down to a new deal and keeping him happy at Villa Park for the long run.
