Aston Villa PSR woes could make defender available at knock-down price
Former Aston Villa and Liverpool striker Stan Collymore.
Former Aston Villa and Liverpool striker Stan Collymore.(Image: Getty Images)
Stan Collymore has suggested Ezri Konsa as a potential bargain alternative for Liverpool this summer transfer window.
Liverpool are looking to replace Ibrahima Konate, who has been linked with Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid, and are chasing Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace, who is also a target for Newcastle United and Tottenham.
But Collymore thinks they are missing a trick if Aston Villa star Konsa is not also on their shortlist, particularly given Villa's need to bring in cash to stay on the right side of football's finance rules.
"I think there are better defenders (than Konate) around the world that Liverpool could unearth and will unearth," he wrote in his column for caughtoffside. "And if Konate doesn’t want to sign and commit to what is a very healthy Liverpool wage structure, then let him go.
"Would Guehi be a like-for-like replacement? No. But the beauty with Guehi is that he comes in and he is a versatile option across the defence. And he’s also very much a player that is a very good club man. He’s going to be a solid 7/10 and play plenty of games all through the season.
"But I am surprised that a team like Liverpool aren’t looking at Ezri Konsa in this situation, given Aston Villa’s PSR woes."
Villa will have to raise significant revenue in the next financial year, which starts on July 1 and ends on June 30, 2026, after failing to qualify for the Champions League.
Villa’s financial situation is nowhere near as dire as 12 months ago after already cashing in on Moussa Diaby and Jhon Durán while the possible exits of Kaine Kesler-Hayden and Louie Barry could help in the next few days.
Collymore has told his old fans they have no right to moan about the rules.
"For me, the situation with Sheffield Wednesday is why PSR exists," he said. "And that’s why I don’t think clubs have the right to complain. Because whether it’s Newcastle, whether it’s Sunderland, whether it’s Villa, whether it’s Liverpool, whether it’s Man Utd, it doesn’t matter. So many clubs are continually overspending.
"PSR had to come in somewhere and there has to be some rules. And whatever rules you bring in, somebody’s going to get hurt – or the perception is somebody’s going to get hurt. And in this case, of course, it’s Aston Villa and Newcastle whose fans are complaining about Man City, Chelsea, Man United, Arsenal, Liverpool having had three decades to spend what they like.
"PSR is there to protect Manchester United, Liverpool, Villa, Newcastle and Sheffield Wednesday. If PSR didn’t exist, it would just becomes a free-for-all. And if it becomes a free-for-all, don’t cry when some of our biggest clubs that are now in the second, third or fourth tiers of English football go out of business for good. That’s the lesson of PSR."
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