Cameron Archer departed Aston Villa to join Sheffield United last summer in an £18 million deal, but there’s speculation that he will make a quick comeback to the Midlands in the near future.
Rumours suggest the 22-year-old might reunite with Villa in the upcoming summer if Sheffield United suffer relegation from the Premier League – an outcome that seems probable at this juncture. With just 15 games left in the season, the Blades languish at the bottom of the league table, trailing by ten points from safety.
Villa and Sheffield United reached an agreement that would allow Archer to return to Villa at a discounted rate should the Blades descend to the Championship. Archer featured in just one match for Villa earlier this season, facing Everton, before departing for Sheffield United in August. During his time with the Blades, he has tallied three goals across 20 appearances, including one notable goal at Villa Park during the 1-1 draw in December.
In the summer Villa also strategically included buy-back clauses in the transfers of Aaron Ramsey to Burnley and Jaden Philogene to Hull, per the Birmingham Mail. Monchi, the club’s president of football operations, formerly of Sevilla, orchestrated these deals to generate approximately £40 million in revenue from the sales of these academy graduates. This approach was chosen over selling a key first-team player, aligning with the club’s commitment to adhere to the Profit and Sustainability Rules of the Premier League.
Archer had been a key player for Sheffield United under Paul Heckingbottom as well as early on in Chris Wilder’s second tenure. But since acquiring Ben Brereton-Diaz in the January transfer window the former England youth international has found himself on the bench. Many have suggested this is because Wilder doesn’t want to develop a player that won’t be at Bramall Lane next term.
