Carlisle United welcomed Villa midfielder Lewis Brunt into the building on Friday morning with the highly-rated teenager joining the Blues for a two-week training spell - with a view to a season-long loan deal.
Brunt, 18, is the midfielder United boss Steven Pressley spoke about earlier this week and could play his first game in a Carlisle shirt as early as this weekend in the Saturday afternoon friendly fixture against Penrith.
“We’re pleased that Lewis is up here to take a look at us,” the manager said. “We have an excellent and strong relationship with Aston Villa and, because of that, we want to help them to look after their young player in a manner that suits everybody.
“He’s still only 18 and both clubs feel he’s a player with really big potential. With that in mind, what everybody wants to make sure of is that this move is right for the player, particularly with the age that he’s at just now.
“Lewis has joined us today with a view to signing a season-long loan in two weeks, if everything goes as planned. That’s the plan, and we expect that’s how it will go, because he’s a very able young person.
“If for some reason over the course of the next two weeks we find that it doesn’t work for either party, then we don’t want to be in a position where we break our relationship with Villa.
“We’re in a position where we can help them to develop their very good young players, as we saw with Callum [O’Hare] last season and, like I say, we fully expect to be doing the same with Lewis.
“What this does is allow him the time to take a good look at us and, once everything slots into place, he should be with us for the remainder of the season.
"In terms of his attributes, he’s a very exciting player who can use the football well. He has everything I look for in a number eight, but we just want to work closely with Villa to do what’s right for a young man who is about to embark on his first loan."
Meanwhile the manager confirmed that trialist Miles Storey has moved on from the club following his 10-day stay at Brunton Park.
“With every player you’re looking for certain characteristics, as every manager does, and he didn’t quite tick all of the boxes that I need from a player in that position,” he said. “Rather than prolong the trial, which I think is unfair on the player, I felt that my mind was made up on this one and I didn’t want to string him along.
“It’s only right and proper sometimes to be honest with your assessment, and particularly when you consider that he’s looking to find a club at this moment in time so that he carry on his career. He’s worked hard and we genuinely wish him all the best.”
