UK Edition
Aston Villa to end Yannick Bolasie's loan deal and send him back to Everton
Aston Villa are scrapping Yannick Bolasie’s loan deal and sending him back to Everton.
Bolasie will return to Everton this week after after Smith and the DR Congo international opted to end the season-long loan move prematurely.
It is understood Villa agreed to pay all of Bolasie's £70,000 a week wages when he was signed in the summer by former manager Steve Bruce.
But the winger has struggled for regular game time since Smith's appointment in October and made only two starts in the Championship this year.
Villa also feel that, at the age of 29, there is no chance of Bolasie being signed permanently in the summer and have decided to terminate the deal.
Signed for £25m by former Everton manager Ronald Koeman in August 2016, Bolasie is now likely to be loaned out to another club for the second half of the season.
Smith is working on new signings this month as he bids to revive Villa's hopes of securing a place in the play-offs.