Aston Villa's Jacob Ramsey
Decision time... Jacob Ramsey with Villa boss Unai Emery
Jacob Ramsey was deemed 'untouchable' last summer, but a decision now looms for Aston Villa regarding the homegrown talent.
Out of contract in 2027, this summer presents Villa with the best opportunity to generate funds from the potential sale of players like Ramsey, Leon Bailey, and Matty Cash.
Boubacar Kamara has been in talks over a new contract since April, while Youri Tielemans - who also has two years remaining on his deal - could be rewarded for an excellent campaign.
Like most members of Unai Emery’s squad, Ramsey has attracted interest, with Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur, and West Ham said to be among his suitors.
Before last summer’s transfer window, Villa’s recruitment chiefs had already identified which players were not for sale following discussions with Emery.
The manager made it clear Ramsey was not someone he wanted to lose, and instead Douglas Luiz was sold to Juventus for £42 million.
“If we sold Ramsey, it would be solved,” Monchi admitted. “And we could have, because we had offers. Another solution was to put Ollie Watkins on the market - it’s an easy option since he’s a top striker. Or we could have sold the best goalkeeper in the world, Emi Martínez, because we also had offers for him.”
Damian Vidagany added: “If we sold whatever it took - let’s say, for instance, Ramsey - some teams approached us at that moment, knowing our weakness. But Ramsey is a player Unai wants; all the Villa staff love having him here, and we were against that solution.”
Now, however, it feels like Villa have reached something of a crossroads regarding Ramsey’s future.
His 2023/24 season was disrupted by injuries and he struggled to replicate the form he showed in the latter stages of the previous campaign. He also suffered a foot injury in the summer while playing for England under-21s.
This season began promisingly with Ramsey assisting in Jhon Durán’s winning goal at the London Stadium, but he managed only one Premier League goal - against West Ham at Villa Park.
He missed seven league games and two Champions League matches due to a hamstring injury sustained before the November international break, though he remained fit for most of the season.
In total, Ramsey made 46 appearances across all competitions - a positive sign considering his fitness struggles the previous year.
Still, his output will need to improve if he’s to fulfil his exciting potential. Emery remains committed to unlocking it, especially after Ramsey played a key role in helping Villa finish seventh in the Spaniard’s first season in charge.
Villa’s revenue is projected to be around £360 million this season, but they will miss out on Champions League income next year after failing to finish in the top five.
This makes selling a homegrown player like Ramsey more tempting, as it would count as pure profit under financial regulations.
However, Ramsey was the only ‘club-trained’ player Villa used in the Champions League knockout stages this season, following the sale of Jaden Philogene to Ipswich Town for £20 million.
Villa are allowed to register 21 non-club-trained players in their 25-man European squad, so Ramsey’s inclusion gives Emery valuable flexibility.
Aston Villa away kit