Aston Villa are expected to receive transfer offers from Southampton and Coventry City in the coming weeks.
Southampton have joined Coventry City in the race to sign Aston Villa right-back Kaine Kesler-Hayden, Birmingham World understands.
Saints are looking for a new right-sided defender as they are expected to lose long-term servant Kyle Walker-Peters upon the expiry of his contract this summer. Southampton are still managerless following the departure of Ivan Juric but that doesn’t mean preparations aren’t being made for the upcoming transfer window, which opens earlier than usual.
Kesler-Hayden has spent the past season on loan at Preston North End in the Championship 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 quadrupled or more since then, thanks to his superb progression.
Southampton are understood to be among the clubs interested with an approach being considered. Saints are wary that there will be competition and are eager to do the groundwork before the window opens. Coventry City, meanwhile, hold a strong interest, according to a report over the weekend.
The Sky Blues are said to have readied a bid of £5 million plus add-ons, recognising Kesler-Hayden’s rise in transfer value in the past year. Villa, anticipating a potential bidding war, will hold out for as much as possible but don’t have unlimited time to wait.
The Villans are at risk of breaching the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules (PSR) and have until June 30 to get themselves in the clear. Clubs in the English top tier are allowed to lose a maximum of £105 million over a three-year period and Villa require at least one significant sale to meet that requirement.
Another, more likely approach, is to sell several fringe players as not to directly impact the first-team squad too much. Attacking midfielder Emiliano Buendia will be sold if Bayer Leverkusen don’t take up his buy option, 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.
It may seem like a silly idea to sell one of the world’s best goalkeepers, but Villa could sell 33-year-old Martinez for a huge fee and sign Espanyol goalkeeper Joan Garcia, 10 years his junior, for merely £20 million. Martinez, seemingly well aware of the situation, looked extra emotional after Villa’s final Premier League home game of the season. It looked like a farewell.
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