Loyalty is a precious commodity in modern football. A few members of Aston Villa’s squad may be about to find that out the hard way as Unai Emery kicks up his preparations for an assault on the Premier League.
Think back to the summer of 2019; one of England’s sleeping giants awaking from their slumber thanks to the alarm clock appointment of Dean Smith.
Aston Villa, after securing their return to the big time thanks to a victory over Derby County in the play-offs, shipped out Albert Adomah, Mile Jedinak, Birkir Bjarnason, Jonathan Kodjia and more while bringing in a host of expensive additions.
Players that served Villa pretty well in the Championship, but were not considered at the requisite level to accompany Jack Grealish and co into the Premier League.
With Champions League football on the horizon for the first time in their history, Villa may now find themselves at a similar crossroads.
Which of the players who helped Villa qualify for Europe’s elite club competition are genuinely capable of competing up against the contininent’s big hitters?
Can Ezri Konsa, John McGinn and Ollie Watkins step up again? Can Matty Cash, one of the more long-serving members of the Villa squad?
Aston Villa’s Matty Cash is an AC Milan target
Cash arrived back in 2020, joining a club who had finished that previous campaign one place above the relegation zone. The former Nottingham Forest flyer has been on quite the journey in that claret-and-blue kit but is this where the journey ends?
The Athletic reports that Villa may consider selling Cash to ease those Profit and Sustainability Concerns, so long as his £30 million asking price is met.
And this is a decision ex-club captain Gabriel Agbonlahor would back, the former striker feeling that the attack-minded Cash may be found wanting against wingers of Vinicius Junior’s qualities.
“I like Matty Cash. (He’s) very good on the ball. But when you’re going into the Champions League…” Agbonlahor begins, speaking to talkSPORT (12 June, 12.40pm). “We could get Real Madrid at Villa Park. The Barcelonas. The Inter Milans.
“You’ve got to go a level up defensively. Unai Emery is probably thinking; ‘you know what, now we are going into elite competition, we are going to have to upgrade in certain areas’.
“And every Villa fan has faith in (Emery’s judgement).”
Douglas Luiz and Jhon Duran could go
Cash started every single one of Aston Villa’s 38 Premier League games two years ago but made only 23 in 2023/24. Emery preferred to utilise the versatile, defensively-reliable Konsa against top opposition, the former Brentford man impressing at full-back in those suceessive victories over Arsenal and Manchester City on the other side of Christmas.
The Athletic reports that long-time admirers AC Milan have made contact with Villa over Cash.
Ironically, a move to the San Siro would see the adopted Pole play Champions League football next season anyway. Milan finished second in Serie A behind rivals Inter, and have therefore secured automatic qualification.
Cash’s Aston Villa team-mate Douglas Luiz could also move to Italy. Juventus are in discussions, and are willing to offer Dean Huijsen, Samuel Iling-Junior and Weston McKennie in exchange. Jhon Duran, anotehr who’s departure would help financially, remains on Chelsea’s wishlist.
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