Ahead of a summer full of potential sales, Aston Villa could now lose one of Unai Emery's most important players to Barcelona amid reports that he's now ready to leave the club.
Why Aston Villa may need to sell
After the Premier League received a glimpse of their potential troubles when they sold Jhon Duran to Al-Nassr in the January transfer window, Aston Villa could be in for a long summer. Failure to qualify for the Champions League would particularly exacerbate their PSR problems to the stage that they may be left with no choice but to sell once again.
Many have had their say on the potential problems that Aston Villa face this summer and former Villans chief Keith Wyness, who now runs a football consultancy which advises top clubs, has been among those.
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[Aston Villa open talks with £39m "leader" over joining Emery next season](https://www.footballfancast.com/aston-villa-open-talks-with-axel-disasi-over-joining-emery-next-season/ "Aston Villa open talks with £39m "leader" over joining Emery next season")
The Villans have every intention of backing their manager.
Wyness recently told Football Insider: “The issue with PSR is not surprising. They’ve been sailing close to the wind. It’s only been the cleverness of Monchi and the recruitment team which have got them out of trouble so far.
“They’re going to have to do it again. It may be a player sold that the Villa fans are not happy about. That’s where the value will be. When you look at what Emery has done with squad strengthening, the fans will forgive him and allow him to get the resources to go ahead in the market – and meet PSR.”
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Just who heads for the exit door with that said is now the big question. Emery's squad is one filled with talent, there's no doubt about that, but whether the Spaniard will help open the door for the likes of Ollie Watkins or Morgan Rogers to leave remains to be seen this summer. Instead, it could be another Aston Villa who heads for a summer exit.
Barcelona plotting move to sign Aston Villa star Emiliano Martinez
According to reports in Spain, Barcelona are now targeting a move to sign Emiliano Martinez, who is ready to leave Aston Villa for a 'bigger club' when the summer transfer window arrives.
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The Argentine shot-stopper has rebuilt his career at Villa Park over the years and become one of the best in the world in his position - winning the Yashin Trophy twice. Now, however, with Barcelona calling, the 32-year-old could be set to depart.
What certainly shouldn't be seen as a positive sign over his future for those at Villa Park is just how emotional Martinez looked following his final home game of the season. The former Arsenal man even looked to be waving a tearful goodbye to the fans.
A player who was praised for an "incredible" save by legend Alessandro del Piero in Aston Villa's 0-0 draw against Juventus earlier this season, Martinez would be an undeniable loss for those in the Midlands.