James Bree could become essential for Aston Villa if duo leave

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Alan Hutton and Ahmed Elmohamady are reportedly on their way out of Aston Villa with the Championship club strapped for cash.

James Bree has waited a year and a half for a proper chance at Aston Villa, but could he be one of the players to benefit from the financial meltdown at Villa Park?

It is understood that Villa will be forced to sell a number of their key players this summer due to the need to raise £40 million to avoid Financial Fair Play sanctions. So far, Jack Grealish, James Chester, Mile Jedinak, Andre Green and Keinan Davis are among those linked with moves elsewhere while loanees Robert Snodgrass, Lewis Grabban and Sam Johnstone have followed John Terry out the exit door.

And, in latest reports provided by the Times, Egyptian right-back Ahmed Elmohamady has allegedly been put up for sale, too, one year after he joined from Steve Bruce’s former club Hull City.

This comes after reports in the Mirror stating that Villa have cancelled negotiations with Alan Hutton, the 33-year-old Scotland defender who is out of contract this summer and understood to be on a hefty wage that could be beyond the club’s means.

With Villa’s first and second choice right-backs seemingly heading for the door, Bree could be about to become more important than he has ever been in the second city.

The 20-year-old has started just ten league games since he arrived from Barnsley in January 2017 but Villa could struggle to bring in a new right-back this summer, which means Bruce could do worse than finally put his faith in Bree.