Aston Villa are entering the end game of their nerve-jangling bid to return to the Champions League next season.
With two games to go, Villa are level on points with fifth-placed Chelsea having won seven of their last eight Premier League games, peaking at the right time with games against the teams in 16th and 17th place – that’s Tottenham and Manchester United, which still sounds odd – to come.
And what happens will have a huge bearing on the summer ahead, with Villa and manager Unai Emery desperate to establish themselves as a Champions League club that can compete for the best players in the transfer market.
We asked for your questions on all things Villa and you responded in your droves. They range from Ollie Watkins’ future to the best wonderkids at the club, from why PSR is still so tight to what Francesco Calvo should do first if appointed as president of football operations.
Thank you for the deluge of questions that came in – our Villa expert TOM COLLOMOSSE has been answering them all over the past few days and here is what you need to know:
Do you believe Ollie Watkins will still be at Villa next season? – Darren
On balance, yes, because I think the market makes him a difficult player to sell. The obsession with youth and resale value grows every year, and Watkins turns 30 this year, so anyone who signed him is not going to make a profit on him.
Ollie Watkins became Aston Villa’s record Premier League scorer last week at Bournemouth
Watkins was disappointed that Villa rejected Arsenal’s offer in January
Equally, Watkins is homegrown, rarely picks up injuries and is a proven goalscorer in the Premier League. Villa wouldn’t let a player like that leave on the cheap.
Watkins was disappointed that Villa did not accept an offer from Arsenal in January and has been unhappy when he’s been left out of the side.
Never say never with this Villa regime: they are instinctive deal-makers rather than methodical planners and can change direction in a heartbeat.
What are the chances Marcus Rashford signs on a permanent deal? – Jacob Kingsnorth
I think the best chance of Rashford returning to Villa would be on another loan deal, with a significant loan fee paid up front. If Villa reach the Champions League again, so much the better.
Rashford is earning about £325,000 a week at Old Trafford, way in excess of Villa’s top earners, who are close to the £200,000 mark, so it would be hard to make the numbers work on a permanent deal. United want Rashford off the wage bill and Villa can play on that desperation by biding their time until late in the window.
Villa’s best chance of signing Marcus Rashford appears to be on another loan deal from Manchester United
Rashford and Marco Asensio have made a huge impact since joining on loan in January
Rashford’s preference is to move to Barcelona – but they are hardly awash with cash, and have the likes of Lamine Yamal and Raphinha blocking the Englishman’s path to minutes.
With all the sales and Champions League money, how are we still so tight on PSR? – Reiss Keating
It’s quite simple, Villa have a high wage bill but do not generate the sort of revenue needed to cover it for PSR purposes.
The Champions League money will help, but only to an extent. Monchi said last year that Villa must not be afraid to sell players and this remains their best source of revenue.
The other issue is that PSR operates on a rolling three-year cycle, meaning that the £100m Villa received for homegrown star Jack Grealish in 2021 will no longer be taken into account in the next set of calculations.
If Villa can somehow sneak into the Champions League again this season, it would solve a heck of a lot of issues.
Who do you think is mostly likely to be sold if Villa need to satisfy PSR? – James_Villa_Jam
I refer you to my Watkins answer to say that, with Monchi in charge, it’s very hard to predict what happens next.
But if a big player is to depart before June 30 (the cut-off date for this year’s PSR calculations) my guess would be Emi Martinez or Youri Tielemans
But if a big player is to depart before June 30 (the cut-off date for this year’s PSR calculations) my guess would be Emi Martinez or Youri Tielemans. These are Villa’s top earners and both would generate huge profits – Tielemans, who has interest from the Saudi Pro League, was signed on a free transfer.
Martinez was bought for about £16m from Arsenal in 2020 but now has a very low ‘book’ value, meaning he could be a very valuable asset for PSR purposes, especially given his status as one of the world’s top goalkeepers.
Who is the most likely member of Villa’s Under 18s to reach the top? – Harry
Villa have done some brilliant academy recruitment in recent times and huge credit goes to Mark Harrison, who former chief executive Christian Purslow recruited from West Brom in 2019 to head up the Villa youth system.
The player who seems to create most excitement is Cole Brannigan, a 17-year-old attacking midfielder who was a star of Villa’s triumphant FA Youth Cup campaign. If he doesn’t go on loan next season, that is possibly a good sign, as it would mean Emery rates him. He may go on Villa’s pre-season tour of the United States and if he progresses, we could see him in a few matchday squads next term.
Cole Brannigan celebrates his stunner in Villa’s FA Youth Cup final win over Manchester City
If Francesco Calvo is to replace Chris Heck as president of football operations, what would be his first job? – Ian Scrivens
Heck’s replacement has to find a way to solve the stadium puzzle. Villa want to take the capacity of Villa Park to about 50,000 and enhance the surrounding area to ensure greater revenue on both matchdays and non-matchdays.
However, they need the local authorities to sign off on a plan to overhaul nearby Witton railway station, which many supporters use before and after games.
The good news is that West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker is committed to the redevelopment. But until all relevant parties sign on the dotted line, the project cannot proceed.
Which, if any, of our loaned out players do you hope to see in claret next season? – Caoimhin O Suilleabhain
With the level Villa have reached under Unai Emery, it is difficult to see a way into the first team for any of the players out on loan.
Enzo Barrenechea has done well at Valencia but in the PSR world, it would be no surprise if the midfielder were sold to boost the bottom line.
Enzo Barrenechea has done well at Valencia but in the PSR world, it would be no surprise if the midfielder were sold to boost the bottom line
Do you think Villa go back in for Joao Felix in the next transfer window? – DreamOfDreams
Emery admires Joao Felix as much as Marco Asensio but this would surely be an unwise deal.
They have tried for the Portuguese playmaker at least twice before and he was never especially keen on the move. He has made little impact on loan at AC Milan in the second half of this season and you have to wonder whether Felix will ever fulfil the huge potential he showed as a teenager.
I have always been a huge fan but it is a long time since we saw the best of him.
How do we assess whether to sign young talent like Kosta Nedeljkovic and Andres Garcia? Is it based on position or potential? – EB10
This is a really interesting one and speaks to Villa’s recruitment strategy more widely.
Under previous sporting director Johan Lange, data was at the heart of the process. Under Monchi, it is about deals. Monchi has outstanding contacts among clubs and agents, and will often be tipped off about top young talent ahead of the competition.
Then it is about whether the deal works: can the player become a first-team regular for Villa? If not, can Emery improve him enough to allow Villa to sell him at a profit down the line? You can see this happening with Nedeljkovic this summer, following his loan spell at RB Leipzig.
Serbia right back Kosta Nedeljkovic has impressed on loan at RB Leipzig this season
What’s going on with Sverre Nypan – is the deal still supposed to go through and how much are Rosenborg demanding?
Nypan is regarded as one of the best prospects from the Nordic countries and when he moves, Rosenborg will expect to earn up to £20million.
The 18-year-old is also highly regarded by Arsenal but Villa believe they would offer him a quicker route to the first team than the Gunners.
Though Emery values experience, he will trust young players if they are good enough – just look at Morgan Rogers.
Though the deal is not complete, Villa are hopeful they can get it over the line once the season has ended.
