Aston Villa are likely to receive bids from Middlesbrough and Southampton in the coming days.
Middlesbrough are reportedly readying a bid to sign an Aston Villa defender but face competition from a host of other Championship clubs.
Villa still need to make several sales before June 30 as they are on track to fail to comply with the Premier League’s profit and sustainability regulations (PSR). Numerous fringe players could leave to help balance the books and right-back Kaine Kesler-Hayden is among those on the transfer list.
As Birmingham World revealed in May, Southampton and Coventry City are among the English second-tier clubs to hold an interest. Saints, looking for a new right-sided defender due to the imminent departure of Kyle Walker-Peters on a free transfer, were thought to be leading the race.
Middlesbrough join Southampton and Coventry in Aston Villa transfer battle
The Telegraph now reports another club has entered the fight, however, with Middlesbrough registering their interest. It’s insinuated that Boro are readying a £3 million bid, a fee that would act as pure profit for Villa in respect to PSR. That figure may seem rather low as Kesler-Hayden has more than proven his worth in the Championship, but that’s what’s been reported nonetheless.
Kesler-Hayden spent last season on loan at Preston North End and made a great success of it, with 44 appearances in the English second tier. It may not have been a good campaign for Preston as they escaped relegation by goal difference alone, but Kesler-Hayden was a rare bright spark and won the Lancashire club’s player of the season award for his efforts.
The North End are keen on keeping Kesler-Hayden for the long term but interest from elsewhere is rife, while Birmingham World understands Villa see the right-back as a player of top Championship or lower Premier League standard. The academy product was worth merely a couple of million 12 months ago but his value has risen since then.
With Boro now in the fight, it’s rather unclear which club can be considered favourites to land Kesler-Hayden. Villa ultimately hold the cards and would ideally welcome a bidding war, though the upcoming PSR deadline does unfortunately hurry the process.
Who else could Villa sell to ease PSR concerns?
The best way to revoke the PSR worries, many would argue, is to sell several fringe players so as not to directly impact the first-team squad too much. For instance, attacking midfielder Emiliano Buendia will be sold, Kosta Nedeljkovic is expected to join RB Leipzig permanently for around £12 million, while Valencia are weighing up a permanent swoop for defensive midfielder Enzo Barrenechea.
Emiliano Martinez, far from a fringe player, has been heavily linked with a transfer away as Villa can conduct some astute business in the goalkeeper position. Martinez, a two-time Yashin Trophy winner, is the subject of interest from clubs in the Saudi Pro League and across Europe’s top five leagues, including Atletico Madrid. Leon Bailey is another up for sale as the winger is seen as dispensable by head coach Unai Emery.
Who do you think should be sold this week, and who should Kesler-Hayden join? Let us know in the comments.
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