Unai Emery could sanction an important Aston Villa defender transfer exit involving Nottingham Forest.
Aston Villa know they must sell players in the next three weeks to avoid a possible points deduction from the Premier League, but the Villans are yet to complete any outgoing business.
Unai Emery’s side are walking a fine line with the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules (PSR) and need to sanction a significant departure - or several less lucrative sales - before June 30 to escape sanctions. The likes of Emiliano Martinez and Leon Bailey have been tipped as the most likely big-money players to leave but Villa could yet be saved by fringe players heading out the exit door.
One who could help out, albeit quite the forgotten man, is Alex Moreno. The left-back spent the season just gone on loan at Nottingham Forest and still has a year to run on his Villa contract. The 32-year-old was a regular starter for Forest at the beginning of the campaign but was eventually usurped on the left side of defence by Neco Williams.
Interest is already building in Moreno as transfer news specialist Fabrizio Romano reports Real Betis have added him to their shortlist. The La Liga outfit are prioritising a move for Leeds United’s Junior Firpo but Moreno is said to be another option on their list as they seek to add quality at left-back.
Moreno, who left Betis originally to join Villa for around £13 million back in January 2023, could make a romantic return to the Villamarin Stadium. The Spaniard spent three and a half years with Betis between 2019 and 2023, racking up 122 appearances, scoring six goals and providing 14 assists.
Albeit promising in his first six months or so at Villa Park and decent initially at the City Ground, Moreno’s transfer to England didn’t quite work out as planned. The defender played 48 times for Villa, scoring three and assisting three. For Forest, Moreno played 19 times, accumulating only 1,312 minutes.
It awaits to be seen how much Villa could rake in for Moreno if he were to be sold back to Betis but it’s unlikely it’ll be anywhere near as much as they paid two and a half years ago. Several million will no doubt be sought but it’s uncertain just how much Betis are willing to pay. If Moreno does go there, he could face Villa next season in the Europa League.
Aston Villa have already completed striker transfer
Onto incoming business and Villa are have already finalised one deal, set to be announced at the start of next month. The Athletic reports Villa have agreed to sign Feyenoord wonderkid Zepiqueno Redmond on a free transfer in a boost to the club’s academy.
Redmond, who turns 19 later this month, made his Feyenoord debut in November of last year and is considered a huge talent by the Villa hierarchy. The Athletic’s report states Redmond was in Birmingham last week to conclude his contract details ahead of a move to Villa at the start of July.
The Villans have been eager to sign a new, up-and-coming striker ever since Jhon Duran left for Al-Nassr in a mega £67 million deal. As the controversial Colombian was such a success story, Villa are trying again to find emerging talent they can either utilise in the first team or sell on for a mega profit in the future.
Continue Reading