Aston 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."
Gollini, 21, initially kept his place when Bruce succeeded di Matteo as Villa boss in October.