Aston Villa's Samuel Illing-Junior has experienced an unexpected journey over the past two years.
In early February, sports witness The winger's loan move from Villa Park to Pisa is covered. This came after his temporary stint at West Brom but Italy was seen as a place where he could make his mark.
The move came as a shock but things started well. Illing-Junior came off the bench against AC Milan and made an impact in the 2–1 defeat.
He also played in attacking midfield against Fiorentina, later making an appearance against Juventus.
However, with things going from bad to worse for the Aston Villa player, there is confusion as to how this happened.
No clarity about Iling-Junior
tuttomerkatoweb Highlights The Aston Villa loanee was denied a inclusion in the Pisa squad for the second consecutive game following Friday's defeat to AS Roma.
The Italian outlet questioned 'where has that talent gone?', as they look back at his time at Juventus.
He played 45 matches for the Bianconeri and scored six goals.
His career has progressively declined since his transfer to Aston Villa. Initially, this was seen as the right move, but his loan moves have been unsuccessful.
The reason for his failure to break into the team for Roma appears to be tactical. Illing-Junior is not injured and it seems manager Oscar Hiljemark has lost confidence in the winger.
Our Opinion: Continuous loan is not helping the player
Every young player needs stability. Illing-Junior was finding it at Juventus and he was starting games. He was increasingly seen as a threat to the left, where he could help those at the front.
However, since then he now has four separate debts. There have been glimpses of his quality but it has never been consistent. Giving so many loans to many clubs did not help them.
The 22-year-old will be desperate for a club where he plays regularly. It likely won't happen at Aston Villa and the Premier League side may then have to make a decision on his future in the summer.
