Villa prepare for next season by loaning striker out

Just days after returning from an unsuccessful loan spell at Bristol City, Villa striker Callum Robinson has departed once again, heading to Preston North End until the end of the season.

Robinson is no stranger to life at Deepdale, having spent much of last season on loan at Preston. Whilst there, Robinson scored four in 25 games as they secured promotion from League 1 into The Championship. Being familiar with the setup at Preston should allow for Robinson to have a better time than his last loan, at Bristol City. Despite joining fellow Villan Nathan Baker on loan at Bristol, the striker made just one league start in three months, before the loan was terminated. Baker, it's worth noting, is thriving there, and will continue to gain first team experience there until the end of the season.

Aston Villa are struggling to find goals this season, so you could argue that having Robinson around could have been useful in Villa's perhaps doomed Premiership campaign. Saying that, if (when) Aston Villa get relegated, having a striker with Championship experience will be useful, especially considering that at least two of Villa's current strikers probably won't be around next term.

So in the short term, Callum Robinson probably can't help the senior side, but a loan spell in the division that Villa will probably end up in can't hurt. This could be some rare good news coming out of the club. God knows we need some.