Report: Aston Villa cannot afford to keep Alan Hutton

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Alan Hutton’s Aston Villa contract expires this summer, and the club are reportedly not planning to offer to hand him a new deal.

According to a report from The Telegraph, Alan Hutton looks set to leave Aston Villa this summer with the Villans no longer able to afford to keep the right-back following their failure to secure promotion out of the Championship.

Steve Bruce’s men moved to within one game of ending their top flight exile as they reached the play-off final. However, a Tom Cairney goal during the first-half proved to be the difference as the Villans looked lacklustre on the big stage.

The Telegraph reports that failure to get promoted has thrown up a lot of questions regarding the club’s immediate future, with speculation even surrounding whether Tony Xia will remain as owner or whether Bruce will still be in charge next season.

The Telegraph adds that the club will no longer receive parachute payments and will no longer be able to offer their players Premier League wages. John Terry is on his way out and it appears that Hutton will be following him out the door, with The Telegraph suggesting that the out of contract full-back will not be offered fresh terms.

It will be a blow for Bruce to lose Hutton should he stick around this summer. The 57-year-old suggested last month, in comments reported by the Express and Star, that he wanted to keep the 33-year-old at Villa Park next season.

Hutton has enjoyed an impressive campaign this past year and his experience may have been beneficial at a time when Villa look set to usher in a summer of transition that may perhaps see a number of their top earners move off the books. But it now appears that he will be looking for a new challenge this summer.

The question now is whether there may be much more important figures at the club following the Scotsman out of the door during the coming weeks and months.