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The transfer window is officially closed, but Aston Villa and Liverpool have sent the necessary documentation to the league offices and the Birmingham club will now have until 8PM BST to complete the deal. With no room for Ilori at Liverpool this season, it is widely expected that the deal will be finalised.
It will involve Aston Villa paying a £1M loan fee to bring the 22-year-old centre half on for the season, as well as a purchase option that can be triggered next summer should Tim Sherwood's side wish to keep him. Many Liverpool fans have not taken news of a purchase option well, but it perhaps doesn't come as a major surprise.
There were hopes Ilori would impress enough to stick with the first team this summer. Unfortunately, Ilori didn't appear ready. He also, by all reports, was a transfer committee purchase rather than a player targeted by Brendan Rodgers, which may have always meant that his position at—and future with—the club was slightly uncertain.
Now, with Joe Gomez seeing regular minutes as an 18-year-old, the club were willing to consider offers that included the option of making things permanent. Liverpool paid £7M for Ilori in the summer of 2013 and has appeared on the bench three times for the club as an unused substitute.
He made a combined 24 appearances for Granada and Bordeaux while on loan over the past two seasons.
