Man United are signing Youri Tielemans and PSG want Lucas Digne - but what do their likely exits mean for Aston Villa's summer transfer window?
Unai Emery and Youri Tielemans
Unai Emery and Youri Tielemans
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Aston Villa’s summer transfer window has kicked into life.
Johan Manzambi is set to join, while Youri Tielemans is on his way to Manchester United. Lucas Digne is also expected to follow him out of the door, with a reunion at Paris Saint-Germain looking likely.
Those two departures, both triggered by release clauses, should bank Villa roughly £45 million while also removing a significant chunk of wages from the weekly bill. Replacing them, however, will be a major challenge, as would be the case with any player from Villa's starting XI.
It's not just their quality on the pitch that Villa will have to replace. Matching the experience of Tielemans and Digne, while maintaining the culture Unai Emery has built at Bodymoor Heath, is another significant task for president of football operations Roberto Olabe.
Amadou Onana suffered an ACL injury last week and is expected to miss most, if not all, of next season. Manzambi is not a like-for-like replacement for the Belgian, at least in terms of profile, but can play as a number eight or six.
Emery may intend to use Manzambi in the double pivot alongside Boubacar Kamara, but when the Frenchman is injured or suspended, Victor Lindelof and Lamare Bogarde are currently the main options to anchor the midfield.
There is no guarantee Bogarde will remain at Villa this summer, with interest in the youngster from elsewhere. Emery, though, would prefer to keep him and tie him down to a new contract. Tielemans' departure and Onana's injury certainly make Bogarde's role an intriguing one heading into the new season.
You could argue Villa now need another midfielder in addition to Manzambi. Although the Switzerland international is versatile enough to cover several positions, greater depth is also required in the forward areas.
Morgan Rogers' future remains another major talking point, and his situation could be influenced by Tielemans' impending departure. Arsenal, however, are still expected to make their move for the 23-year-old and test Villa's resolve.
A natural right winger was, and remains, a priority this summer following the conclusion of Jadon Sancho's loan spell and with Leon Bailey expected to leave the club.
Behind Ollie Watkins and Tammy Abraham, Villa need genuine competition and two quality options for every position. Between John McGinn, Rogers, Manzambi - once his move is completed - and Emi Buendia, Emery's attacking midfield options look limited.
Alysson could leave on loan, while Evann Guessand is expected to be sold. Ross Barkley's future is also uncertain given the lack of guarantees over his playing time heading into the new campaign.
At least one more winger and one more midfielder will be required on top of Manzambi's arrival, with another attacker potentially needed should Rogers depart. Already, there is plenty of business to be done if Emery is to have a squad capable of challenging for another top-five finish while competing in the Champions League.
Further back, Villa are also in need of two new full-backs if Digne leaves. A right-back was already on the shopping list, with Andres Garcia expected to be allowed to find a new club.
Ezri Konsa continues to attract interest from elsewhere and, with two years remaining on his contract, this could represent Villa's final opportunity to extract full value. However, it is difficult to see how the club could sanction his departure given the scale of the rebuild already required.
The same applies to Emi Martinez. Although every player has a price, no club has yet come close to matching Villa's valuation of the goalkeeper, with Juventus among those to have fallen short in recent weeks.
If Digne and Tielemans complete their respective moves, Villa will need five new signings. And that's before the futures of Rogers, Bogarde, Barkley and several others are resolved.
John Townley
John Townley
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