Aston Villa Winger Samuel Iling-Junior Poised for Serie A Loan Move to Pisa
Aston Villa are reportedly finalising a new loan arrangement for young winger Samuel Iling-Junior, who is set to join Italian club Pisa for the rest of the campaign. This move comes after his previous loan spell at West Bromwich Albion was terminated early, marking a swift change in his development path.
West Brom Loan Spell Comes to an Early Conclusion
The 22-year-old attacker spent the first half of the 2025-26 season on loan at West Bromwich Albion, where he made a total of 24 appearances across all competitions. During his time at The Hawthorns, Iling-Junior started 14 matches but struggled to maintain consistent form throughout his stint.
His only goal for the Baggies came during his first start for the club back in August, when he found the net against Leicester City. Despite this promising beginning, the winger failed to build momentum, leading to the mutual decision to end his Championship loan prematurely.
Return to Italian Football with Relegation-Threatened Pisa
According to reports from respected Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio, Iling-Junior is now closing in on a move to Serie A side Pisa, who currently find themselves battling against relegation. This represents a return to Italian football for the young player, who previously had spells with Juventus and Bologna before joining Aston Villa.
Iling-Junior originally joined Villa from Juventus in the summer of 2024 as part of a significant transfer deal that saw Brazilian midfielder Douglas Luiz move in the opposite direction. Enzo Barrenechea also made the switch from the Italian giants to Villa Park during that same transfer window.
Previous Loan Experience and Current Contract Situation
The winger's career has seen several loan moves already. After an unsuccessful first half of last season at Bologna, he moved to Middlesbrough where he rediscovered his form under the guidance of manager Michael Carrick. This experience at the Riverside Stadium demonstrated his potential when playing in a system that suited his attributes.
Iling-Junior remains under contract with Aston Villa until 2029, giving the Premier League club plenty of time to assess his long-term future. This latest loan move to Pisa represents another opportunity for the young player to gain valuable first-team experience in a competitive European league.
The transfer highlights Villa's ongoing strategy of developing their younger players through carefully selected loan spells, while Pisa will hope the winger can provide the creative spark needed to help them avoid relegation from Italy's top division.
