Alan Hutton is off to Mallorca

Both Aston Villa and Real Mallorca have announced that Villa defender Alan Hutton will be joining the Spanish side on loan until the end of the season. For Villa supporters hoping that this would truly be the last seen of Hutton, there's a bit of good news -- Mallorca have the option to buy the Scot at the end of the loan period.

Hutton, signed by Alex McLeish in his brief-yet-way-too-long period as Villa manager, has been a thorn in the side of the club, seeing as he's a, shall we say, one-dimensional player, one that certainly doesn't fit with the style Paul Lambert is trying to impose. Add to that his high wages and he's a yet another burden on the beleaguered Villa.

And so off he went to Nottingham Forest in November, called forth by the beneficent McLeish. With that loan over, and Forest unable to find the funds to buy him, Hutton is now off to Spain. Mallorca are currently second from bottom in La Liga, but Hutton wants playing time, and so he goes.