Image credit: Getty Images
Arsenal are reportedly among the Premier League clubs monitoring Aston Villa star Jacob Ramsey, with a summer move on the cards following Villa’s failure to qualify for the Champions League.
Unai Emery’s side endured a disappointing end to the Premier League campaign, losing 2-0 to Manchester United on the final day—a result that saw them finish outside the top five on goal difference. Goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez was sent off before half-time, and although Villa showed resilience, a wrongly disallowed goal for Morgan Rogers and a late penalty from Christian Eriksen sealed their fate at Old Trafford.
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Villa’s sixth-place finish means a spot in the Europa League next season instead of the lucrative Champions League, a setback that could have significant financial implications. According toTalkSPORT, the club may be forced to offload players to comply with Profit and Sustainability Rules, and Ramsey has emerged as a likely candidate to be sold due to the fact he would represent pure profit on the balance sheet.
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Jacob Ramsey (Image credit: Getty Images)
The 23-year-old, who is a product of the Villa academy, has already made 167 senior appearances and scored 17 goals. Though injuries disrupted his progress last season, Ramsey bounced back to feature in 45 matches across all competitions this term. Despite being highly regarded by Emery, the midfielder started just 19 Premier League games, a contrast to Rogers, who started 37 and is reportedly off-limits amid interest from Chelsea.
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Villa are understood to value Ramsey at around £50 million, with Premier League rivals Arsenal, Tottenham, and Newcastle United all expressing interest. The England U21 international has previously attracted interest from Bayern Munich, and speculation over his future has been ongoing since January.
Speaking earlier this year, Emery emphasized Ramsey’s importance to the club: “Jacob Ramsey is a very important player here,” the Villa boss said. “He grew up here in the academy and his progression is clearly getting better. His level is increasing a lot and I want to keep him here with us. Of course, he’s starting to attract interest because he has big, big potential—for both Aston Villa and England.”
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