Reports suggest Aston Villa will need to pay a little bit more to land Stoke City midfielder Glenn Whelan in one of the summer’s best bargains
Aston Villa owner Tony Xia has to reign in the spending this summer
While Aston Villa utilised the ‘kid in a candy store’ approach to the transfer market last summer, it appears that they may be forced to scour through the bargain deals this time around.
The Telegraph reports that Financial Fair Play regulations mean Villa’s spending will be limited in the coming months while the club could have to sell before they buy.
This is stark contrast to the £70 million splurge Villa embarked upon across 2016/17 – only to finish the season in the bottom half of the Championship table.
£15m striker Jonathan Kodjia was one of the players brought in for a huge fee
Consequently, it would not make a lot of sense if Villa were to let one of the summer’s most astute bargains pass them by over a refusal to pay as little as £300,000. According to the Daily Mail, Stoke City rejected a £500,000 offer from the Midlands giants for veteran midfielder Glenn Whelan.
The arrival of Darren Fletcher from West Brom means Potters boss Mark Hughes can afford to let the Republic of Ireland international leave the Bet 365 Arena this summer. But Stoke want £800,000 for Whelan’s signature.
Stoke City’s Glenn Whelan
And though the long-serving midfielder may be no spring chicken at the age of 33, he still managed to play 38 games for club and country last season. Furthermore, he remains one of the Premier League’s most consistent players, the archetypal 7/10 man with the experience and composure that Villa are crying out for.
Furthermore, with plenty of energy left in his ageing limbs, there are few players on the market available at better value than Whelan.
Therefore, with Villa operating with their hands tied behind their back, refusing to meet Stoke’s generous asking price would make little sense.
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