Danny Drinkwater Joins Aston Villa on Loan Until End of Season

​Aston Villa have confirmed the signing of Chelsea midfielder Danny Drinkwater on loan for the remainder of the season.

Drinkwater spent the first half of the campaign out on loan with Burnley, but after managing just two appearances for Sean Dyche's side, he found himself looking for a new home this January.

​Villa took to their ​official website to confirm the deal, with ​Drinkwater set to help the team cope with the absence of star midfielder John McGinn, who fractured his ankle in December and is expected to miss another few months.

“Danny was a key member of ​Leicester City’s title winning team and has represented England so he is a vastly experienced player," said manager Dean Smith. “He will strengthen our squad significantly."

Now that Villa have a player from ​Chelsea on loan in their squad, they will no longer be able to bring in anyone else from the Blues, meaning loan moves for strikers ​Olivier Giroud or ​Michy Batshuayi are now off the table.

For Drinkwater, the move will give him a chance to play regular football for the first time since 2017, before his £35m move to Stamford Bridge saw his career stall massively.

He managed 23 appearances for the Blues during his debut season, before sitting out almost the entire campaign under Maurizio Sarri, who openly admitted that he had no place for the midfielder in his squad last year.

McGinn's injury could give Drinkwater plenty of chances to prove himself in the top flight once more, with Villa looking for some much-needed experience to steer them away from a relegation fight.

Smith's side currently sit 17th in the ​Premier League table, just one point clear of the drop zone, and they find themselves on a run of six losses from their last nine games in all competitions.

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