The summer transfer window opens next week for Premier League clubs
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Aston Villa's president of football operations Monchi
Aston Villa's president of football operations Monchi
(Image: ANP via Getty Images)
Unai Emery, Monchi, and Damian Vidagany will soon sit down with the rest of Aston Villa's recruitment team to go through plans for the summer transfer window.
Last summer, Villa completed their preparations for the window soon after the final game against Crystal Palace.
Villa were well beaten at Selhurst Park, but that didn’t matter after securing their place in the Champions League on the night of the club’s 2023/24 awards ceremony.
Omari Kellyman and Tim Iroegbunam were both sold in June, before Douglas Luiz left in a deal worth £42 million to Juventus.
What could happen before June 30?
If Villa want to keep building and adding quality to the squad, the answer is simple: yes.
Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) limit spending relative to a club’s revenue, so unless a club earns as much as the ‘big six,’ they are at a disadvantage.
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Villa have managed their restrictions admirably so far, but the challenge will persist in the coming seasons. Last year, Monchi emphasised the necessity of selling before buying and made it clear he’s not afraid to part with big players:
"We were not afraid to sell players, but we had to do it within a plan," Monchi said in August.
"In my opinion, we need to sell players - City sell players, Arsenal sell players, Real Madrid and Barcelona sell players. We are not afraid to sell players. The most important thing is to have one - a buyer, and two - a player to replace them."
Villa’s wage-to-turnover ratio was also above 90 per cent last season, which indicates how important Champions League football would be for a second successive season.
UEFA permits a wage-to-revenue ratio of 70 per cent, so Villa must balance their wage bill in the coming weeks and months.
It is expected that Emi Martinez will depart, with Atletico Madrid the frontrunner for his signature, while there is also interest from Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Pro League teams are also interested in signing Leon Bailey, who, along with Martinez, could raise a substantial amount of money.
Alongside that, RB Leipzig have a £12m option to buy Kosta Nedeljkovic, but Bayer Leverkusen are unlikely to activate their £17m clause on Emi Buendia, who is due to return following his loan spell.
Kaine Kesler-Hayden has plenty of interest in the Championship, especially from the likes of Southampton and Coventry City, while Alex Moreno will also leave permanently, though it is unclear whether Nottingham Forest will take up their option to sign him.
Meanwhile, Lucas Digne will enter the final 12 months of his deal this summer and is known to be one of the club’s highest earners.
While the France international has been one of the most consistent players in Emery’s squad for the last two campaigns, Villa could look to offload his wages and take in a transfer fee, given it would be the last opportunity to do so.
Emery will likely want to have a look at Enzo Barrenechea before deciding upon the midfielder’s future, but there is already growing interest in him from Spain following an impressive spell under Carlos Corberan at Valencia.
What about other big sales?
Aside from Martinez, Villa have no shortage of saleable assets, but – as was the case last summer – the club do not want to part with any player they don’t believe they can replace.
Youri Tielemans, the club’s player of the season, replaced Douglas Luiz’s influence, while Marcus Rashford joined on loan after the £65m sale of Jhon Duran to Al-Nassr in January.
The Telegraph reports that Villa do not want to sell Morgan Rogers at any price, even though his value is nearing £100m.
Chelsea are understood to be tracking the forward closely, but Villa are in no rush to part with the England international, who joined from Middlesbrough in a deal worth up to £15m in January 2024.
Tielemans is reportedly of interest to clubs in Saudi Arabia, who believe they could tempt Villa into a possible sale if they bid around the £50m mark.
Ollie Watkins, meanwhile, could attract interest once again in the upcoming window, but Villa know they’d have to replace his goals - a very difficult job for any recruitment specialist without a huge budget.
Villa will have money to play with, but improving more than a couple of areas of the squad will require sales, as Monchi has previously explained.
Jacob Ramsey is a homegrown talent and could have relieved the club’s PSR worries last summer if he had been sold to Tottenham, but Emery did not want to part with the midfielder.
Newcastle United are known to be admirers of Ramsey, who has two years remaining on his Villa contract.
Boubacar Kamara could play for most clubs in world football, such is the level he performs at in the specialist number six role, but he remains in advanced talks over penning fresh terms with the club.
The three loanees
Villa signed three players on loan at the end of the winter window: Marcus Rashford, Marco Asensio, and Axel Disasi.
They hold a £40m option to sign Rashford on a permanent basis from Manchester United.
The England international suffered a hamstring injury before Villa’s FA Cup semi-final clash against Crystal Palace and has been sidelined ever since.
Villa do not have an option to sign Asensio permanently, but Paris Saint-Germain would be open to doing business for the Spaniard, who has a year left on his deal with the Ligue 1 champions.
Emery wanted to bring Asensio to Villa previously, so he could demand that the club push for a permanent deal. But for now, at least while on loan, Asensio’s final chance to impress will come this weekend.
The same goes for Disasi, who will be allowed to leave Chelsea this summer, but Villa do not hold an option to recruit him on a permanent basis once the season is over. He has only started one of the club’s last eight Premier League matches.
What about incomings?
Currently, Villa have a long list of players across different positions that will be strengthened this summer.
To replace Martinez, Joan Garcia is known to be a key target. He has a release clause of £25m and is attracting interest from plenty of suitors, including Real Madrid and Arsenal.
Enzo Boyomo of Osasuna and Cristhian Mosquera of Valencia are two centre-backs who Villa have tracked.
Young defender Yasin Ozcan will be coming to Bodymoor Heath this summer after his transfer was agreed with Kasimpasa earlier this year.
Last month, exciting Danish midfielder Sverre Nypan gave Villa encouragement to advance talks with Rosenborg over his transfer.
Arsenal were in discussions to sign the 18-year-old in January, but he stayed in Norway for the remainder of the season. Nypan is rated as one of the brightest prospects in Europe.
Continuing with the theme of recruiting promising youth talent, Villa are in pole position to sign Feyenoord striker Zépiqueno Redmond.
The 18-year-old is due to become a free agent this summer, and the likes of Tottenham and AC Milan have reportedly been monitoring him.
According to reports in France, Villa are among a number of clubs who have made contact with Jonathan David's representatives about the prospect of joining the club this summer, along with Spurs and other sides in Italy, such as Napoli and Juventus. However, it remains to be seen where David's preferred destination is.
Canadian international David, 25, is expected to be one of the most in-demand free agents on the continent this summer after five years in France with Lille, where he has established a reputation as a potent frontman. It's likely, though, that he'll command a substantial signing-on fee.
If Rashford doesn’t return after his loan spell and Bailey departs, Villa will be light on attackers despite signing Donyell Malen from Borussia Dortmund in January.
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