The summer transfer window will close for Aston Villa on Monday, September 1 at 7pm
Aston Villa want to sign Nicolas Jackson
Aston Villa want to sign Nicolas Jackson(Image: FIFA via Getty Images)
Aston Villa have one week left to complete their summer transfer business.
It has been a difficult window for the club, as they are restricted by the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR), as well as UEFA’s financial regulations.
Under PSR, clubs are permitted to lose up to £105 million over a rolling three-year period. Villa unsuccessfully lobbied last year to increase that limit to £135 million.
However, it is UEFA’s rules that Villa have found even more challenging to comply with. Like the Premier League, UEFA limits clubs to three-year losses – €60 million (£51.8m), of which €55 million (£47.5m) can be covered through secure owner funding.
Clubs deemed to be in good financial standing are granted an additional cushion of €30 million (£25.9m), allowing for total losses of up to €90 million (£77.7m) over three years.
UEFA insists these rules are not intended to create a level playing field but to ensure clubs live within their means.
Villa were fined £9.5 million by UEFA in July for breaching the European governing body's financial regulations last season, including spending more than the permitted 80% of income on player wages.
UEFA had been in constructive talks with Villa since December, and both parties agreed that part of the punishment would also involve having a positive transfer balance at the end of this window.
Jacob Ramsey’s £40 million sale to Newcastle United was completed last week, in a move that improved Villa’s position with regard to both the Premier League and UEFA’s financial rules.
However, that does not allow the club to spend freely in the final days of the window, although they do have a degree of flexibility following other departures.
Leon Bailey, Leander Dendoncker and Alex Moreno all left the club after Ramsey’s move to Tyneside.
Bailey joined AS Roma on loan until the end of the season, at which point the Italian club will decide whether to sign him permanently for £19 million or allow him to return to Villa.
Dendoncker and Moreno – both in the final year of their respective deals – left Villa on free transfers, though removing their wages from the books was an important factor.
Before Villa’s disappointing 1–0 defeat at Brentford on Saturday, Unai Emery hinted that further departures were possible before next Monday’s 7pm deadline.
Lewis Dobbin has joined Preston North End on loan, and could be followed into the Championship by Samuel Iling-Junior, who is attracting interest from second-tier clubs as well.
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If Villa wished to free up even more wages – and potentially raise a sizeable transfer fee – selling Emi Buendía could be an option, despite Emery favouring keeping him before the season began.
Bright in the second half at Brentford, Buendía played a part in creating Villa’s best chance of the game. However, Emery decided to substitute him with 15 minutes remaining, despite the Argentine having come on in the first half to replace the injured Boubacar Kamara.
Buendía spent the second half of last season on loan at Bayer Leverkusen, but the German club opted not to trigger their £17 million option to sign him permanently.
Buendía’s future may depend on who – and how many – players Villa are able to add to their forward line.
In theory, Evann Guessand and Buendía replaced Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio, but the void left by Ramsey remains unfilled. If Buendía were to depart, two new signings would likely be required.
Asensio remains an option for Villa, who have monitored the Spaniard’s situation throughout the summer, aware that he would be open to a return.
The 29-year-old has less than one year remaining on his contract at Paris Saint-Germain, and the French club are keen to sell him before the window closes.
Among Villa’s other attacking options are Chelsea duo Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson, both of whom have been told they can leave.
Jackson is attracting considerable interest, but Villa are likely to push hardest to secure his signature, with Emery enjoying a strong relationship with the forward, having handed him his breakthrough at Villarreal a few years ago.
Emery had wanted to sign Jackson in the January 2023 window, but a move did not materialise. The Senegal international instead joined Chelsea on a long-term deal that summer.
Jackson and Nkunku are both versatile – a quality Emery values highly in potential signings. However, Chelsea have yet to lower their demands for either player.
They are seeking a permanent solution for Nkunku, while their current loan fee demand for Jackson is deemed too high – although Villa are working to reduce the cost.
Villa looked stale against Brentford, and are yet to score in the Premier League this season, having drawn 0–0 with Newcastle United on the opening weekend.
Attacking reinforcements are vital, particularly as Villa hope for another long campaign, but recruiting players with the right profile is just as crucial, given what was lacking in the capital over the weekend.
In defence, Villa have been attempting to finalise a deal with Toulouse for Jaydee Canvot, who is capable of operating at centre-back and in midfield.
The Ligue 1 club are holding out for €20 million to part ways with the 19-year-old, and Villa have so far been unsuccessful in reaching an agreement. If a fee is agreed in the final week of the window, personal terms with Canvot should not be an issue.
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