Aston Villa landed in the United States on Thursday afternoon and wasted no time getting to work, heading straight into training at their Nashville base. Unai Emery has brought his first-team squad across the Atlantic, along with several promising youngsters including Yasin Özcan, Jamal Jimoh-Aloba, Triston Rowe, and Travis Patterson - all hoping to make an impression during the tour. Villa’s Stateside pre-season fixtures begin in Louisville , where they will face Eintracht Frankfurt at the Lynn Family Stadium. That match will be followed by games against MLS sides St. Louis City SC and Nashville SC next week. While Emery would ideally be working with several new signings by now, Villa’s summer business has been limited so far. The club remains constrained by financial regulations that cap spending in relation to revenue, making new additions challenging without first raising funds. To date, Villa have made just two signings: Zepiqueno Redmond, who arrived on a free transfer, and experienced goalkeeper Marco Bizot, brought in as a back-up option. Villa remain in the market for a defender and forward options before the transfer window closes on September 1. There's still time to strengthen the squad, but to do so, the club may first need to offload players to create room on the wage bill and generate transfer funds. Speaking on Claret & Blue , John Townley provided insights into the current situation at the club, discussing transfer priorities, the financial balancing act, and what might be next for Emery's squad as pre-season ramps up. What’s your reaction to Kamara’s new contract? "He's a top player, and if you lost him, you'd have to spend a fortune to replace him. He falls into the group of players that Villa see as indispensable - you just can't replace them. "Even if Villa had sold Kamara, Watkins, Rogers, or others this summer to raise funds and rebuild the squad, I still think that would’ve been a massive risk. It's not just about keeping your core assets - it's about getting them to commit to the club as well. "Now, as you said, Dan, contracts don’t mean anything these days. Just because someone signs until 2030 doesn’t mean they’ll actually stay that long. Who knows - there could be transfer interest in Kamara as early as next summer. That’s just the reality, especially if we don’t qualify for the Champions League. "That’s why next season is absolutely critical. When I talk about keeping Villa’s key players, I’m not necessarily talking about the long term - three, four, five years. I’m talking about next season. We need to qualify for the Champions League or win the Europa League. You need your best players to do that. "If we miss out on the Champions League for a second season in a row, then we have to accept that players' heads will turn. They’ll look elsewhere because they know they can be playing in the Champions League every year. Some may give the club the benefit of the doubt for one season, but that patience won’t last forever. "Keeping Kamara is a massive part of achieving our goals." Will Villa be looking to offer new deals to other players? "Quite a few players in the squad right now only have two years left on their contracts. Take Tielemans, for example - he’s on good money already and had a fantastic season. He’s one who probably deserves a new deal. "There are a few others in the same situation. But what I’d say is that while not all of them have necessarily earned a pay rise, you still want to extend their contracts - to protect their value and avoid running them down. "It’s less about rewarding them with more money and more about securing the club’s position by adding years to their deals. "There are a few big decisions for Villa to make, and while most are pretty straightforward, the one that stands out to me is Jacob Ramsey. "As soon as the season ends, I always look at player contracts - specifically who has two years left. That’s typically the key time to sell if a new deal isn’t going to be signed. That was the situation with Kamara too: if he wasn’t going to renew, you’d consider cashing in. Thankfully, that didn’t go that way. "But Ramsey is different. He was seen as indispensable last year. So, where does he stand now? Would Villa be tempted to sell if the right offer came in? We’ll have to see if Forest or any other club firm up their interest. "But with two years left on his contract, Villa need to either offer him a new deal now or sell. You don’t want to be in a position this time next year where he’s had an average season - maybe scores a goal or two like last season - and then what? Do you just extend his deal by another year to keep things ticking over? "At some point, you have to make a call. So yeah, a big decision on Ramsey will have to be made - probably as soon as a concrete bid is made". What about Lucas Digne? "Lucas Digne is an interesting one. He had some interest earlier in the summer from Atlético Madrid. If that had become more concrete, I wouldn’t have been surprised to see him leave, especially given Villa’s need to reduce the wage bill. "But if he's happy to sign a new deal on reduced terms, then that’s fine by me. Villa are now in talks with him over an extension. We have one of the strongest left-back departments in the league - why disrupt that unless you have to? The only real reason to move him on would be financial. "His transfer value isn’t likely to increase or decrease significantly at this point. So if you give him a new two-year deal now, you’re probably not going to get much less for him in the future than you would today. With Digne, it all comes down to wages - not resale value." When will Villa start adding depth? "Emery will have a reluctant acceptance when it comes to a sale. If a player leaves this summer, it won’t be without his approval, but that doesn’t mean he wants to sell anyone. "We know Villa need to free up wages and bring in some transfer fees. Offloading a player could essentially unlock the rest of the transfer window - give the club the flexibility to move. We said this last week too: Villa need to replace at least two of the three players who left on loan. A couple of wingers, a right-sided centre-back, maybe even a striker or someone versatile up front - depth is absolutely crucial. "Emery knows this. He said as much back in January and February - he told players, 'You need help, I’m going to get you help in the window'. That mindset hasn’t changed. But now, two months into the window, how do we get there? Realistically, we need a sale to open that door. "So who are we talking about? Martínez? Ramsey? Bailey? It depends on the offers. So far, things have been quiet. "It’s not a topic fans love to hear - selling key players - but it’s part of the process. And to be honest, I don’t fear it. If done right, it can help improve the squad. It all comes down to which players, and what the club can do with the money."