After returning to Aston Villa for pre-season following an impressive four-month spell at Deepdale, manager Steven Gerrard hinted that Archer would not be leaving the club on loan this season. But Archer has come off the bench once in three Premier League games and Gerrard could now change his mind. Villa are pushing to sign Ismaila Sarr from Watford in a £25m deal and that could well pave the way for Archer to go on a match-time loan. North End were keen to bring the striker back after last season but those hopes were dashed as Archer scored for England Under-21s in the summer as well as Villa. If Villa complete a deal for Hornets striker Sarr, it will boost the final third competition Archer already has from Danny Ings, Ollie Watkins and Leon Bailey. Young Villa striker Keinan Davis has already joined Watford on loan and Gerrard has now weighed in on Archer’s current situation, with another Championship club understood to be leading the race to bring him on loan. “He’s doing really well,” Gerrard said at the weekend. “I’m talking very close to him at the moment about certain situations. Maybe I could have put him on the field. [vs Crystal Palace]. But we will do the right thing for Cameron in the short term. The window is still open. It’s very much a part of what we’re trying to do here. He’s a huge talent and we love the kid, but we’ll do the right thing with him over the next few days. And when asked if he could play against Bolton in the cup, Gerrard said: “Very much, but there’s also a chance he won’t be involved at all, so I’ll leave you with that.” Download the LancsLive app for free iPhone here and Android here. Don’t miss anything from the club you love! For all the latest Preston North End updates, sign up for our free newsletter packed with all the latest news here. Read more related articles Read more related articles
