Former Sheffield United striker Cameron Archer could be heading back to the EFL this summer as Aston Villa look to raise funds to meet Premier League PSR rules.
Archer joined the Blades last summer for a fee of £18 million, but following the side’s relegation, Aston Villa exercised a buy-back clause in the deal which has now seen the striker return to Villa Park. The buy-back is reported to have been worth the discounted price of £14 million.
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The 22-year-old played 29 times for Sheffield United last season, scoring four goals and adding an assist. While encouraging for a young striker, that form doesn’t perhaps indicate he is ready to be a part of a Champions League squad as Villa prepare themselves for life in Europe’s elite competition. Instead, as reported by Football Insider, the Midlands-based club are open to offers for Archer and it is expected that he will leave Villa Park during this transfer window.
There may well be plenty of clubs in the Championship who are interested in a deal for the young forward as he is no stranger to scoring goals in the second tier. Archer previously scored seven times in 20 games while on loan at Preston North End in 2022, and 11 goals in 23 games during a spell with Michael Carrick’s Middlesbrough in 2022/23.
While it would be expected that there would be plenty of interest in Archer, an issue may arise in securing a move away from the club as Aston Villa look to hold out for the maximum fee.
Football Insider revealed in June that the club needed to raise £60 million this summer to meet the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules. And with Ian Maatsen incoming for a fee of at least £37.5 million, they are already playing catch up.
Sales of the likes of Omari Kellyman to Chelsea and key midfield man Douglas Luiz to Juventus could help balance the books, but if they wish to add more to their squad they may wait for a more sizeable bid for Archer later in the window, which could well leave the former Sheffield United man in the dark for the coming weeks.
Writer’s View
Cameron Archer is a goalscorer, of that there is no doubt, but following a turbulent year of a big money move that didn’t pay off, he finds himself back at square one, looking for a way out of Villa Park. If one of the more financially well-off Championship clubs needs a striker this summer, he could be a great option.
Wherever Archer ends up this summer, he will want it done as soon as possible because the next move feels a big one in his still-young career. If he gets it right, he could well be in the conversation for the Championship Golden Boot come next May. If not, he could suddenly become a surplus-to-requirements striker in the second tier, something that not many would have predicted a few years ago as he was scoring so consistently for Aston Villa’s youth teams.
