One Aston Villa player has been subject to interest from former manager Steven Gerrard, who is currently managing Saudi Arabian side Al-Ettifaq.
It’s building up to be a busy transfer window for Aston Villa who are gearing up for a successful second half of the season.
Unai Emery’s side are battling across all fronts having reached the knockout stages of the Europa Conference League, the fourth round of the FA Cup and are currently second in the Premier League.
Villa’s ultimate aim is to finish in the top four, but the Spaniard surely wants his side to glean silverware.
The last time they won a trophy was in 1996, beating Leeds United in the League Cup final.
If Emery wants to write his name into Villa Park folklore this term, he’ll need to strengthen his side, but first, he must get a few players off his wage bill.
Who could leave Aston Villa?
Earlier this month, it was reported that Aston Villa were listening to offers for midfielder Leander Dendoncker, but would only allow him to leave if a reasonable offer was made.
Striker Jhon Duran has been linked with a move to Italian giants AC Milan after signing for £18m last January.
Defensive duo Kourtney Hause and Calum Chambers could also depart this winter as they aren’t part of Emery’s plans. Hause still has 18 months left on his contract but is unlikely to play for the club again while Chambers has started just one Premier League fixture since October 2022.
Another player on the chopping block is winger Bertrand Traore who has only made two appearances in the top flight this season and has now subject to interest.
Journalist Ben Jacobs has claimed that former Villa manager Steven Gerrard is looking to reunite with the 28-year-old at Al-Ettifaq.
He was discussed alongside Liverpool’s Joel Matip in a three-hour recruitment meeting.
Why Aston Villa need to sell Bertrand Traore
With Traore’s contract expiring in June, Villa can either affload him now or risk losing him on a free in the summer.
The former Chelsea winger has struggled to break into Emery’s plans this term following the arrival of Moussa Diaby and the blistering form of Leon Bailey.
When the door of opportunities has become ajar, Traore has left Villa feeling increasingly frustrated by his injury record, especially as he’s usually back fit for international duty but then returns with fresh issues.
Given this has happened on more than one occasion, the club can no longer afford to carry passengers in their drive towards Europe and that means the 28-year-old has to be sold.
If links to Al-Ettifaq do materialise, it could be an attractive proposition for him to link back up with Gerrard and take on a new challenge as the Saudi league continues to grow in popularity.
