It may come as a surprise to some that Villa, being already lacking somewhat in midfield, would let one of their players leave on loan. The consensus is that Villa are in need of reinforcements, so McLeish's decision to offload the youngster on loan could mean one of two things.
Either he wants him to get more game time and improve, or he simply does not rate him and wants to get him off the wage bill for a while (until Leeds make an offer to buy, perhaps?).
McLeish has given Delph a fair showing this season so far, but despite signs of improvement he has not really performed well since O'Neill brought him to Villa Park, at least not to the level that Villa fans hoped he would.
There is no doubting that Delph has talent, but a poor disciplinary record and a number of lacklustre performances have slowed his ascent as a Villa star.
Hopefully, the move will be advantageous for all involved, because Delph certainly has the potential to be a success. Perhaps the regular football will be a wise move. We shall find out.
(Follow me on Twitter @MattLeCameron, and check out the official Villa Mad Twitter and Facebook pages).