Aston Villa were expected to spend heavily again this summer but it appears they will have to sell before they buy.
Aston Villa supporters would have been expecting a far quieter summer this time around after the kid in a candy shop approach to transfers employed by owner Tony Xia and previous coach Roberto Di Matteo 12 months ago.
Yet, it appears that manager Steve Bruce will not be able to, as some have crudely suggested, ‘buy the Championship title’ next season. Because The Telegraph reports that a Football League clampdown on spending means Bruce will be forced to sell before he can buy this summer.
The newspaper adds that new Financial Fair Play rules means clubs are permitted to lose up to £83 million over the course of three seasons. However, accounts released in February revealed that Villa had already suffered a deficit of £81.3 million.
As a result, this appears to have paved the way for five players to leave the Midlands as Bruce aims to scrimp and save ahead of a challenging summer.
Heading for the exit
The Telegraph claims that Jordan Veretout and Carles Gil (below), who have spent the seasons on loan at St Etienne and Deportivo La Coruna respectively after struggling to settle in England, will be shipped out this summer.
As will underwhelming summer signings Tommy Elphick and Aaron Tshibola. The former lead Bournemouth to the Championship title in 2015 but has been far less solid in claret and blue. Villa have not won a game that the 29-year-old has started since early December.
And Tshibola, who cost £5 million from Reading last summer (The Mirror), barely featured under Bruce before being shunted out on loan to Nottingham Forest in January. However, after failing to impress at the City Ground either, the tigerish midfielder faces an uncertain future.
The club’s willingness to part with Amavi (below) should also not come as a shock. Xia took great pride in claiming Villa rejected a £25 million offer from the left-back in January (The Guardian) but his performance level has plummeted since, coinciding with the arrival of Welsh international Neil Taylor from Swansea.
Amavi is perhaps the club’s most highly-priced asset, meaning his exit would surely swell Bruce’s summer budget.
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