Despite a lack of experienced centre-backs, Aston Villa let Tommy Elphick join another Championship club, Hull City, on loan.
Remind us again why Aston Villa let Tommy Elphick join Hull City on loan on transfer deadline day.
The former Bournemouth skipper moved to Villa Park in the summer of 2016 for a fee of £3 million (BBC). And, while Elphick never quite recaptured the form that led the Cherries to the Championship title three years ago, it seemed he would play a big role in a Villa defence that lost plenty of experience this summer when John Terry and Chris Samba departed.
But Elphick featured in just one of Villa’s first five Championship games in 2017/18. Despite impressing, and scoring, in a 3-1 win at Hull, the 30-year-old soon found himself in reserve with youngster Axel Tuanzebe and midfielder Mile Jedinak ahead of him in the pecking order.
Elphick was then sent out to Hull while Villa neglected to bring in a replacement. And, on the back of Saturday’s 4-1 thrashing at Sheffield United, the fans would be right to ask why.
Elphick might not always have convinced in claret and blue but he surely could not do any worse than Jedinak, who looks like a square peg in a round hole as things stand.
Tuanzebe, meanwhile, is just 20 and, for all of Steve Bruce’s faith, it is a big ask for him to step up with so little first-team experience to his name.
Loaning out Elphick is one of those decisions that seems increasingly bizarre the more you think about it.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
