Lino Sousa

Exclusive: Bristol Rovers closing in on securing loan deal for teenage Aston Villa left-back..By Daniel Hargraves

Lino Sousa spent the second half of last season on loan at Plymouth Argyle having joined Aston Villa from Arsenal in the January transfer window

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Lino Sousa in action for Plymouth Argyle last season

Bristol Rovers are close to signing left-back Lino Sousa on loan from Aston Villa, Bristol Live understands, as the Gas look to strengthen the left-hand side of their defence.

Sousa spent the second half of last season on loan in the Championship with Plymouth Argyle, making eight Championship appearances while starting three games. The loan move followed after making a permanent switch from Arsenal to Villa in the January transfer window.

The 19-year-old has represented England across various age groups and also has Portuguese citizenship but the experience at Plymouth was the left-back's first experience of playing senior football having come through the youth system at West Bromwich Albion before joining Arsenal in 2022.

Rated highly by his parent club, Sousa was understood to be lined up for another Championship loan move this season making this a potential coup for Rovers.

Although Sousa doesn't have bundles of senior experience, the teenager has been a regular for one of the country's best youth sides in the Gunners while Villa are excited by his potential.

The Gas have signed 13 players so far this summer and it is currently unclear whether the deal will be completed in time for Sousa to be involved in Rovers' League One clash at Rotherham United on Saturday. However, the following match against Tottenham Hotspur Under-21s in the EFL Trophy seems to be a good opportunity to embed the left-back into Matt Taylor's side should the move be completed.

Lino Goncalo Da Cruz Sousa) was part of a good Arsenal fa youth side and was sold to Aston Villa and has represented England at Under 19 level.
Sounds like an exciting signing for Rovers.

Signed.Official.

Rovers latest signing from Aston Villa
LINO GONÇALO DA CRUZ SOUSA
Born 19.1.2005 Lisbon, Portugal
6’ 1”; 11 st Left wimg back
Career: Sandwell Academy; Aspire FC; 2020 West Bromwich Albion; 28.1.22 Arsenal; 1.2.24 Aston Villa (free); 1.2.24 Plymouth Argyle (loan) [3+5,0]; 14.8.24 Bristol Rovers (loan).

Eight years old when his family moved to Wolverhampton from Lisbon, Lino Sousa brought his talent as an athletic left-sided defender to The Mem early in the 2024-25 season. A regular, at the age of sixteen, in the West Brom side which reached the 2021 FA Youth Cup semi-finals, he went on Arsenal’s pre-season trip to Germany in 2022 and was involved in the squad for a Europa League tie against FC Zürich prior to being named on the bench for a Premier League match against Brentford in September 2022. He was also in the Gunners’ side which lost 5-1 to West Ham United in the 2022-23 FA Youth Cup Final and played in two Football League Trophy ties, scoring in a 2-2 draw at Swindon Town in August 2023. Rated highly at both Arsenal and Villa, he made his Football League bow as a late substitute in Plymouth’s 1-0 victory at Swansea City in February 2024, when he replaced Mickel Miller with eight minutes to play. He represented England twice at each of Under-15, Under-16 and Under-17 levels before making the first of eight appearances for the Under-18 side in a 2-1 win over Croatia in Medulin in March 2023 (coming on as a substitute after an hour for Manchester City’s Nico O’Reilly) and the first of ten outings for the Under-19 team when England lost 1-0 to Germany in Oliva, Spain six months later. Profile compiled by Stephen Byrne Bristol Rovers History Group. Check out our website for profiles of over 2000 players.

I hope Mr Sousa will not mistakenly take offence when an inept referees assistant gets offered advice from the terraces such as 'keep up Lino' and join in lino along more colourful content?