Aston Villa boss Steve Bruce has generally overlooked Tommy Elphick during his time at Villa Park.
If Aston Villa do lose Tommy Elphick on a free next summer, it will highlight some poor strategising from Steve Bruce.
Elphick has just one year left on his Villa contract, and he seems unlikely to stick around at Villa Park while Bruce is in charge.
The 29-year-old centre-back has suggested that he would be open to leaving Villa on a permanent transfer in January, but the claret and blues will have very little negotiating power to command a fee for him then.
And Elphick must feel like he has been dealt a rough hand by Bruce, during his time at Villa.
Granted, the centre-back was not ever a stand out player for the claret and blues, but he has proven on numerous occasions to be a reliable Championship defender.
Elphick can play in the second tier to a high level, and to lose him cheaply, or on a free, would represent a mistake for Villa.
Elphick surely should have been a valuable asset for Villa, even if they wanted to sell him, and if he is let go, then Bruce will have to take some of the blame for not maximising the value of the centre-back.
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