Aston Villa face a decisive summer amid updates regarding the club’s financial situation, however, Monchi could grant both Unai Emery and Moussa Diaby a boost by selling one star to boost profit.
Aston Villa are enjoying an emphatic season under Unai Emery, with the best potentially yet to come in the 2023/24 calendar.
The Villans sit comfortably in fourth place with a five-point gap between them and Spurs, and an eight-point lead over Manchester United in sixth.
It’s an exciting time to be a Villa fan, as the club not only has a spot in next season’s Champions League tournament in their sights but are also preparing for a European blockbuster in the Europa Conference League.
Two legs against Ajax await Emery’s side in March, a month that could be critical to how the campaign pans out for the Midlands club.
Despite the joys that the Spaniard is bringing to Villa this season, there could be a dilemma for the manager to fix alongside Monchi in the summer.
Aston Villa’s financial situation must be addressed in the summer
As previously detailed, Villa face a challenge concerning their finances this summer due to UEFA’s financial rulings and the need to balance the books to adhere to Financial Fair Play.
The long and short of the subject is that it looks likely that Villa will need to offload players in the transfer window to boost revenue, with Jacob Ramsey mentioned as the most suitable player to sell for maximum profit.
The club have seen first-hand how beneficial the sale of an academy graduate can be, acquiring £100m for the 2021 exit of Jack Grealish to greatly strengthen Villa financially.
There have been rumours regarding the future of Ramsey, who is said to have admirers both abroad and in the Premier League, as per The Athletic, who speculated a price tag in the region of £50m could be expected.
How the sale of Jacob Ramsey could benefit Moussa Diaby
While it would be unfortunate for Villa to offload Ramsey, who has been an integral part of the project since emerging from the surroundings of Bodymoor Heath, his exit could potentially open a door for one player in the squad.
A versatile attacker, the Englishman has excelled for Emery on the left flank both this season and last season, with his return to action keeping Moussa Diaby out of the squad.
The Frenchman was previously fielded in a central role by the manager however, if Ramsey was to leave, it could present the boss with an opportunity to reunite the 24-year-old with his former partner at Bayer Leverkusen.
Prior to their moves to Villa, Diaby and Leon Bailey had an impressive partnership in Germany, as detailed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, who described the duo as “deadly” during their time in the Bundesliga.
The £130k-a-week winger is suspected to have been left ‘frustrated’ due to his lack of action of late, with one way back into the squad being if Ramsey was to exit in the summer.
During their two Bundesliga seasons together playing on the right and left flank, Bailey and Diaby contributed to 52 goals for Leverkusen, suggesting just what Emery could get if he was to allow the pair to combine once more.
It could be a fundamental switch in position and personnel for Diaby’s career at Villa, with his form from the start of this season not translated to 2024 as the Frenchman continues to struggle for form.
