Tommy Elphick could reportedly have Aston Villa future – on one condition

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Aston Villa loaned centre-back Tommy Elphick out to Championship rivals Reading in the January transfer window but will he be back at Villa Park?

Aston Villa have a number of players out on loan and, therefore, some difficult decisions to make this summer.

And one of the most interesting situations surrounds that of Tommy Elphick.

The former Bournemouth captain moved to Villa Park for £3 million in the summer of 2016 but simply has not performed to expectations in claret and blue.

Falling behind John Terry, James Chester and Chris Samba in the pecking order, Elphick started just three league games for Villa in the first half of the season and was loaned out to Reading in January.

But the Birmingham Mail point out that the 30-year-old could still have a future at Aston Villa, as long as they miss out on promotion to the Premier League this season.

The report claims that if Villa are still a Championship side in 2018/19, it seems unlikely that they will be able to hang on to out-of-contract duo Terry (below) and Samba, which could offer Elphick a route back into the first-team.

But if Villa do navigate the play-offs and seal a return to the big time, Elphick would almost certainly depart the club on a permanent deal.

It is understood that manager Steve Bruce was willing to sell the experienced centre-back to Reading this summer but he has not featured for the Royals since suffering a serious injury on his full debut back in February and that now looks to be in doubt.