Aston Villa face a battle to retain the services of a number of their key players
Aston Villa’s Player of the Season Youri Tielemans is expected to be the subject of keen interest from a number of wealthy clubs in the Saudi Pro League this summer. Villa have faced Profit and Sustainability issues in recent months after spending close to the allowable losses limit of £105m over a three-year-period.
Despite selling the likes of Jhon Duran, Douglas Luiz, Diego Carlos, Jaden Philogene and Moussa Diaby, it’s widely reported that Villa will once again have to cash in on another one of their key players before the 30 June deadline to comply with the rules.
Tielemans has scored five times and contributed ten assists from 52 appearances in an immense individual campaign, which has seen him propel Villa into a Champions League qualification race, reach the semi-final of the FA Cup and make it to the quarter-final of the Champions League while recording memorable wins over Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain along the way.
Transfer insider shares verdict on Youri Tielemans’ future
Reporter Ben Jacobs claims Aston Villa would be willing to accept an offer in the region of around £50m for Tielemans this summer amid interest from the Middle East. The former Leicester City playmaker arrived on a free in the summer of 2023 after suffering relegation with the Foxes and has established himself as a real fan favourite in Claret and Blue.
However, transfer insider and finance expert Stefan Borson claims Tielemans’ preference is likely to remain in Europe beyond the summer. He explained to Football Insider: “It may be that Villa will look at it and go if we can get a big offer for a player who is 28, we paid nothing for and we can get a profit of £50million, then maybe we’ll take it. But I doubt he’s going to go anyway.
“Would he want to go to Saudi Arabia? I suspect not. It doesn’t sound like the sort of deal that they would do anyway for £50million. I’d say it’s unlikely to happen. I’d say that Villa have shown their hand now that they do need to do something in June, whether it be the women’s team or PSR sales. But I think they’ve shown that they do need to do something, and then I think that a lot of the decisions that will flow from that will depend on whether they can get the Champions League.”
What Aston Villa need to secure Champions League qualification
A victory for Villa will take them to 69 points which means if either Newcastle United or Chelsea fail to win, Unai Emery’s men will be back in Europe’s elite competition. All three sides are level on points heading into the contest but Newcastle and Chelsea both have a significantly better goal difference.
The Magpies face Everton at home on the final day of the season while Chelsea face a Nottingham Forest side which still have an outside chance of securing Champions League qualification. If results go to plan for Emery, it could secure the long-term future of some major first team assets while also presenting the team with a golden opportunity to attract new stars to the club.
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