Aston Villa confirm defender sale to EFL club

Villa have confirmed the sale of defender Sil Swinkels to Sheffield Wednesday.

The 22-year-old has joined the League One club for an undisclosed fee, ending a six-year stay at Villa Park.

Swinkels joined Villa’s academy as a teenager from Feyenoord and made two first-team appearances, the most recent coming in a Carabao Cup win at Wycombe in 2024.

The Dutch defender spent the second half of last season on loan at Chesterfield, where his performances caught the eye of several EFL clubs. He has signed a three-year contract at Hillsborough.

Villa have maintained some control over Swinkels’ future by inserting a matching rights clause in the deal, which means they must be notified and have the chance to match any future offers which come in to the Owls.

The club used a similar clause to re-sign winger Jaden Philogene from Hull in 2024 after Ipswich had bid £18million.

Philogene was sold to the Tractor Boys for £20m just a few months later having struggled to impress on his return.

Villa, meanwhile, could face competition from Ipswich should they pursue a move for Toulouse goalkeeper Guillaume Restes.

The 21-year-old is on the club’s list of targets if Emi Martinez leaves this summer.

Napoli are also reported to be interested in Restes, who is valued by Toulouse at nearly £20m.