Ex Rangers player attracts Aston Villa transfer exit options as January move could beckon for rising striker
The forward left Rangers for Aston Villa but is yet to make a senior debut.
A former Rangers talent is set for a January move as Aston Villa make him available for transfer.
The Light Blues have handed first team chances to young players like Findlay Curtis, Bailey Rice and Nathan Patterson in recent seasons but one academy product they didn’t get to see was Rory Wilson. Sections of the support have kept tabs on the forward since his highly-publicised 2022 move to Aston Villa as he weighed up his options for where to continue his senior career.
He has not debuted at senior level, now 20, but has scored goals aplenty in the Villans youth ranks and has netted five in the UEFA Youth League this season. It’s now claimed by the BBC that as part of his development, the former Rangers forward will leave Aston Villa on loan to gain senior exposure.
Who could Rory Wilson leave Aston Villa for in January?
It’s claimed: “Young Aston Villa striker Rory Wilson is attracting European interest this month. The forward, who turned 20 on Monday, is expected to go out on loan to continue his development. Clubs in the EFL are also keen on taking the Scotland Under-21 striker but if a move does not happen, he will continue at Villa, where he has been training with Unai Emery's senior squad on a regular basis.
“However, a loan is seen as the next step for a player who joined Villa at 16 in 2022 from Rangers for £350,000 and signed his first professional contract six months later. He is yet to make a senior appearance for the club. After protracted contract talks, last April Villa made him one of the highest earners in the academy when he signed a new deal, fending off interest from clubs including Bayer Leverkusen.
“Former president of football operations Monchi, who left in September, and head of football operations Damian Vidagany oversaw the contract talks. Vidagany has also held a constant interest in his development while Roberto Olabe, who replaced Monchi, has been impressed and views Wilson as a late developer like Ollie Watkins.”
What did Rangers think of Rory Wilson?
Rangers’ head of academy at the time of Wilson’s exit, Craig Mulholland, made clear how keen the Light Blues were to keep in the in-demand forward. He said: "Rory is a young player who we have watched develop from a very young boy into a young man.
“He comes from a very strong family who support him exceptionally well and we wish him well on his journey. Although our preference was for Rory to continue his journey at Rangers, we also respect his decision. We can now see some exciting recruitment into the club with talented players domestically and cross-border choosing to join Rangers and we are pleased with our development in this area.”
After signing his new Aston Villa contract, academy manager Mark Harrison said: "‘We are delighted to have agreed a new contract with Rory. He has obviously got a proven track record of scoring goals at Academy level and we firmly believe that this will continue at senior level. Rory has always been very committed to his development and has shown that consistently throughout his time with us. He has undoubted potential, so we look forward to supporting him into transitioning into a first team player at Aston Villa FC."