ChampionshipAston Villa have allowed goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini to return to Italy by loaning him to Serie A side Atalanta on an 18-month deal.

The former Manchester United reserve was a Roberto di Matteo signing this summer when he arrived from Italian second-tier side Hellas Verona for £4m.

"It came out of the blue last night," Villa boss Steve Bruce told BBC WM.

"We agreed a deal and it was done in a couple of hours and he's now gone off to Atalanta."

Bruce added: "It's fair to say that once I'd left him out and I'd brought in another keeper, what was the next step for Pier?

"It was a little bit too early at this stage of his career to come to Villa. He still needs to learn his trade. It's a good thing he's out there playing again. Ideally it would have been in this country, but we still own him and we'll keep monitoring his progress."