Cardiff City supporters will be keeping one eye on eight-figure Aston Villa man this season: View | OneFootball

Jaden Philogene completed a transfer to Aston Villa this summer, just over a year on from his emphatic loan spell with Cardiff City

Jaden Philogene was at the very centre of one of the EFL's most significant summer sagas before eventually returning to Aston Villa after a solitary season with Hull City, though Cardiff City supporters will certainly be eager to see how well he seizes his opportunity in the big time.

Despite enduring a couple of months sidelined with injury, Philogene lit up the Championship for Hull last season. Having signed for the Tigers for just £5m, the England youth international was breathtaking to watch as he ran opposing defenders ragged, plundered in goals and assists and even put Rotherham United to the sword with an audacious 'rabona' strike back in February.

Summer interest felt inevitable for Philogene, then, with his performances having duly merited the admiration of Europe's elite. Tottenham Hotspur, whom younger brother Blake currently represents at academy level and Barcelona were both credited with an interest in securing Philogene's vaunted signature following his 12-goal, six-assist haul at the MKM Stadium last term.

Meanwhile, Premier League quartet West Ham United, Crystal Palace, Everton and Ipswich Town had all been touted as potential destinations for the 22-year-old, with pursuits from the Toffees and the Tractor Boys proving more amplified than those of certain competitors.

However, Aston Villa ultimately reigned victorious in the hotly-contested race for Philogene. Newly-promoted Ipswich had appeared poised to land the player but, rather smartly, Villa acted upon a clause in the agreement that took Philogene to Hull which allowed them to match any accepted offer by the Tigers.

The Villains academy product sought to rejoin his former club after just twelve months away - in what would have been an £18m deal but Villa will pay just £13m due to a sell-on clause - where he will have the opportunity to cut his teeth in the UEFA Champions League for Unai Emery's side.

Philogene was among the hottest properties in the country this summer and has rightfully earned a graduation to the premier podium in the domestic game. However, his ascent truly began at Cardiff two seasons ago and because of that, they are sure to be keeping a rather nostalgic eye on his development this term.

Jaden Philogene's 22/23 loan success at Cardiff City

Philogene arrived at Cardiff in July 2022 as one of 18 senior signings made by then-manager Steve Morison in an ultimately ill-fated attempt to overhaul the club's playing squad and philosophy.

Morison, who was dismissed by Cardiff just two months after signing Philogene, had undeniable shortcomings with the Bluebirds which is partially shown in some of the less-successful business he conducted during that window. Striking a deal for Philogene, however, proved to be a masterstroke.

Having came under scrutiny during a loan spell with Stoke City in the second half of the season prior, Philogene offered fleeting moments of real brilliance and X-Factor quality in his early outings for Cardiff but was frustratingly inconsistent. He failed to really figure in the plans of Morison's successor Mark Hudson, who, for one reason or another, seemed to prefer Sheyi Ojo. Looking back at that in 2024 makes for some interesting reading, it must be said.

Nonetheless, Sabri Lamouchi's appointment as Cardiff boss at the end of January was the catalyst for Philogene to dance, dazzle and destroy in the Welsh capital. Entrusting the youngster in an unprecedented right-sided wing-back role, Philogene was tasked with defensive responsibilities in a pragmatic side which often sat behind the ball and relied upon quick transitions from wide areas. Crucially, though, he was afforded optimal freedom in possession - and he did not look back from there.

In equal measure, he was captivating and breathtaking with the ball at his feet. Philogene's nonchalant, individualist yet simply magical ability to stand defenders up and beat them on the inside, outside or however he wanted to, at any given moment, was otherworldly for Cardiff at the time.

Such individualism had initially served to frustrate. However, it eventually won over the hearts of supporters who fell guilty of the cardinal sin of falling in love with a loan player. Cardiff have accumulated great success in the loan market in recent years by building meaningful rapports with top Premier League clubs and accommodating the likes of Tommy Doyle, Cody Drameh, Harry Wilson, Ryan Giles, Nathaniel Phillips and more. But none were finer than Philogene.

The underlying numbers speak volumes in isolation, though the eye test really served to illuminate the level of Philogene's impact in the Welsh capital. Beyond that, he was just incredible to watch at full throttle.

Goalscoring was the one real drawback of his time with the club as he only managed four league strikes. However, he did register crucial goals in derby outings against both Bristol City and Swansea City, yet another dazzling one at home to Rotherham, and scored against then-Premier League side Leeds United in the FA Cup.

Now, the fact he has added a devastating final ball to his game only raises his footballing ceiling even higher.

There is a reasonable, if not overwhelmingly strong, argument to be had that Cardiff have not had a player with a superior ceiling of potential than Philogene in the last decade at the very least. His exploits for Hull supported that theory further, and there is every chance he can ascend even more with Unai Emery's upwardly-mobile Villa side.

Jaden Philogene can have a significant impact for Aston Villa in 23/24 and beyond

Players such as Jhon Duran, Jacob Ramsey and, perhaps most notably of all, ex-Middlesbrough forward Morgan Rogers all epitomise Emery's willingness to work with and cultivate young talent.

Indeed, Philogene himself had been in favour of leaving Villa Park last summer and it was not a case of the Spaniard wanting him gone - in fact quite the opposite - which suggests he will be handed ample opportunity to finally show his worth in the Second City.

Villa will be competing on all fronts this season. Back cutting their teeth in club football's grandest competition, Villa will want to be competitive there while ensuring avoidance of a potential hangover off the back of last season's fourth-placed finish in the Premier League and supporters will want to see the club well in the mix for domestic silverware in the cups, too.

Invariably, such toiling demands and a congested, unforgiving schedule places an emphasis upon strength in depth and that is where Philogene can come in. Though rotation will be important as the season wears on, he may not find himself starting over Leon Bailey in the Premier League each and every week just yet.

However, Villa are set to play a significant number of fixtures this term and are also somewhat light in wide areas, which opens the door for Philogene. He undoubtedly possesses all the ability in the world to meet the increased demands at Villa and can be expected to thrive in the top-flight, just as the aforementioned Rogers has done.

The other crucial factor at play is his remarkable improvement over the last year or so. He now appears en-route to realising his frightening potential, and Villa is the best environment for that to blossom further.

It is indicative of his potential alongside the influence of high-quality, intricate coaching, adding consistent and decisive goals and assists to his game and greater efficiency and production to his dribbling after being a flashy and exciting, but somewhat inconsistent winger at Cardiff.