Aston Villa striker Zepiqueno Redmond has completed a season-long loan move to French side Annecy as part of the club’s growing multi-club development strategy.

The 20-year-old becomes the first of several Villa youngsters expected to head to the Ligue 2 outfit this summer, with Kadan Young and Mohamed Kone also anticipated to complete similar moves in the coming days.

Villa’s parent company, V Sports, acquired a 30 per cent stake in Annecy last month.

The investment is centred on player development, with the expectation that more academy prospects from Villa Park will spend time in France over the coming seasons.

Netherlands youth international Redmond joined Aston Villa on a free transfer last summer after his contract with Feyenoord expired. During his time in Rotterdam, he made first-team appearances and also featured in the Champions League.

He spent last season on loan at League One side Huddersfield Town but saw his spell disrupted by a knee injury after making just three appearances.

V Sports, headed by Villa owners Nassef Sawiris, Wes Edens and Michael Angelakis, has continued to expand its international football network in recent years.

The group has established collaborative partnerships with Real Union in Spain, Vissel Kobe in Japan and Egyptian club ZED FC.

V Sports also retains a 17 per cent stake in Portuguese top-flight side Vitoria Guimaraes, having reduced its holding from 29 per cent in 2023 to comply with UEFA ownership regulations after both clubs qualified for European competition.