Aston Villa: £42m duo now ‘allowed to move on’ at Villa Park
Aston Villa could look to push through the sales of a £42m duo at Villa Park this summer.
Aston Villa are unlikely to retain Philippe Coutinho and Lucas Digne at Villa Park beyond the summer window, though transfer insider Dean Jones indicates “offers need to land” as he provides the latest update to GIVEMESPORT.
Unai Emery’s Villans have already made a splash in the transfer market but could now look to secure outgoings to balance the books.
Aston Villa transfer news – Philippe Coutinho and Lucas Digne
After spending over £75m on making three signings at Villa Park, Emery will identify several players who could be sold for cash, as the one-time European champions aim to balance their squad ahead of the upcoming season.
Youri Tielemans, Pau Torres and Moussa Diaby have already arrived in the West Midlands, with Emery building a squad capable of challenging in the Premier League and Europa Conference League this term.
Meanwhile, out of players involved in last season’s squad, only Ashley Young has been released, joining Everton as a free agent this summer.
Marvelous Nakamba and Wesley Moraes have left Villa Park after loan spells away from the club.
But a focus must be on shifting higher earners who would command substantial transfer fees in the remaining month of the window.
Attempts to move Coutinho out of Villa Park have been made, with Besiktas being the latest side to fail in their pursuit of the 31-year-old.
Meanwhile, a report from 90min last month claimed that former Villa and current Al Ettifaq manager Steven Gerrard was interested in striking a deal for Coutinho, hoping for a reunion with the £17m midfielder.
And the MailOnline report that Villa are open to offers for Digne, just 18 months after his £25m arrival from Everton.
The left-back has lost his regular spot in Emery’s side to Alex Moreno, who signed for the Villans from Real Betis in January.
Jones understands that Coutinho and Digne would be allowed to move on this summer but need to generate offers for their services in the remaining month of the transfer window.
What has Jones said about Coutinho and Digne’s futures at Aston Villa?
Jones told GIVEMESPORT: “I don’t have great expectations for Digne or Coutinho to remain at Villa beyond this transfer window, but like other players in this squad, you need offers to land before we genuinely know how Villa view the situations.
“I understand that both would be allowed to move on at this stage, but of course, all parties need to find a satisfactory resolution to their problem.”
Who else could Aston Villa sell this summer?
Coutinho and Digne are just two names linked with an Aston Villa exit this summer as Emery looks to trim his squad in the coming weeks.
Daily Express journalist Ryan Taylor has recently told GIVEMESPORT that Villa could consider suitable offers for winger Leon Bailey, who finds himself competing for a spot in the starting XI following Diaby’s arrival.
The same journalist also tells GMS that Belgium midfielder Leander Dendoncker could leave Villa Park, having arrived from Wolverhampton Wanderers last summer.
In positive news, talkSPORT reporter Alex Crook has suggested to GIVEMESPORT that midfielder Douglas Luiz is unlikely to leave the West Midlands outfit, despite angling for a move to Arsenal 12 months ago.
