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28 May, 2025
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Managing Aston Villa: £100m from player sales, dream transfer doubt, replacing Emi Martinez
@Source: birminghammail.co.uk
Another busy summer transfer window awaits Aston Villa , who will compete in the Europa League next season. Unai Emery’s side narrowly missed out on Champions League qualification on the final day of the campaign, partly due to a significant refereeing error that denied Morgan Rogers a goal against Manchester United. Without the financial boost of Champions League football, Villa's transfer strategy will need to be adjusted accordingly. Ahead of the June 30 financial year end, Villa will look to generate funds through player sales, as they did last year, although their current financial position is not as precarious as it was 12 months ago. Last summer, the club sold Douglas Luiz, Tim Iroegbunam and Omari Kellyman for a combined £70 million, followed by Moussa Diaby's £50.5 million move to Al-Ittihad. In the winter window, the sales of Jhon Duran, Diego Carlo and Jaden Philogene brought in an additional £100 million. This summer, reducing the wage bill - equivalent to 91 percent of the club’s revenue in 2023/24 - will be a priority. Emi Martinez, Leon Bailey and Lucas Digne are all potential departures. At least two of them will need replacing, and a backup goalkeeper is also required following Robin Olsen’s free transfer to Malmö. Espanyol’s Joan Garcia is one option. The 24-year-old goalkeeper has a £21 million release clause and is attracting interest from Villa, as well as Arsenal and Real Madrid. He made 140 saves in La Liga last season - the most in the Spanish top flight and second most across Europe’s top five leagues. Garcia also posted the best "post-shot expected goals minus goals allowed" figure in La Liga at +7.7, highlighting his shot-stopping prowess. At left-back, Villa have maintained a long-standing interest in Adrien Truffert, who could be a younger and more cost-effective replacement for compatriot Digne. The 23-year-old has one year left on his Rennes contract and is available for the right price. Marseille are also reportedly interested, according to L'Équipe . In central defence, Villa are targeting Valencia’s Cristhian Mosquera and Osasuna’s Enzo Boyomo, with Axel Disasi returning to Chelsea after his £5 million loan spell. Mosquera, who turns 21 in June, made 36 La Liga appearances last season. Before missing a 7–1 defeat to Barcelona, he had started 51 consecutive league games. With one year left on his contract, Valencia may be willing to accept a fee of around £15 million if he doesn’t agree to an extension. Despite his youth, Mosquera’s experience makes him a logical target for Villa, who are committed to signing younger talents. Feyenoord striker Zépiqueno Redmond, 18, will join Villa in July when his contract expires. Turkish defender Yasin Özcan, 19, is also set to arrive this summer. Meanwhile, exciting Danish midfielder Sverre Nypan has given Villa encouragement to advance talks with Rosenborg over a potential move. Arsenal were in talks to sign the 18-year-old in January, but he remained in Norway. Nypan is widely regarded as one of Europe’s brightest young prospects. The possible sales of Martinez, Bailey and Digne could raise around £70 million. Additional departures - such as Kosta Nedeljkovic, Emi Buendía, Kaine Kesler-Hayden and Alex Moreno - could push that total beyond £100 million. Beyond Martinez, another major sale could further boost the club’s funds. Ollie Watkins, Morgan Rogers, Boubacar Kamara, Jacob Ramsey and Youri Tielemans all have suitors ahead of the summer window. With Marcus Rashford seemingly heading to Barcelona, Villa will also need to decide whether to pursue Marco Asensio on a permanent deal. Even if Asensio stays, Villa will need at least one more forward as Redmond remains largely untested at senior level. Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo would be a strong candidate to replace Bailey, but without Champions League football, Villa could struggle to attract him - especially with Newcastle reportedly ready to make a substantial offer.
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