Despite the fact the 2023/24 season has only just come to an end, Aston Villa will already be thinking about how they can bolster their squad for next season.
That task lies with manager Unai Emery and president of football operations Monchi, with the duo having to mastermind a summer of recruitment that gets the Aston Villa squad ready for a season in the Champions League.
Unfortunately for Villa, even with a spot in the Champions League, they will be unable to focus simply on incomings.
That is because the club is at risk of breaching both UEFA’s Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules as well as the Premier League’s profit and sustainability regulations (PSR).
With than in mind, Villa will likely have to make one or two sizeable sales to allow them to bring in the kind of player they will want to have them ready for what they will hope will be another historic season.
Douglas Luiz may be sold to ease financial pressure
Villa sill not want to lose any of their key players this summer and in an ideal world would be able to move squad players on to raise funds for new signings.
However, fringe players such as Calum Chambers and Leander Dendoncker are not going to command the kind of fees the Villa Park club need to loosen the PSR noose.
Therefore, it is likely a player of the calibre Emery would want to keep may have to be sold before the club can reinvest.
According to Aston Villa journalist John Townley, Douglas Luiz is the player most likely to depart, as he said on the Claret and Blue podcast: “I think it’s [Luiz] the most likely of the sales, we know that there’s a situation and Emery has said some interesting stuff about the PSR situation.
“There’s only so many players that we can sell, we can’t sell Martinez, we can’t sell Watkins, can’t sell Torres or Konsa, that’s why Luiz is towards the top of the list of likely sales.”
Gustavo Hamer could be budget Douglas Luiz replacement
Villa have already been strongly linked with a move for Luton Town’s Ross Barkley, the 30-year-old who spent a season on loan at Villa Park three years ago.
However, The Villans face competition from Manchester United for Barkley and could still look to add another centre-midfielder even if they do secure the Luton man’s signature.
One option Villa should explore is Sheffield United’s Gustavo Hamer.
The Dutch midfielder was one of very few positives as the Blades finished bottom of the Premier League, scoring four goals in his first season in the Premier League, as well as providing six assists.
Depsite playing in a really poor Sheffield United side, Hamer still managed to impress and looked a player destined for greater things having signed for the club for £15 million last summer.
Hamer provided 19 goal contributions in his final season at Coventry City in 2022/23 according to Transfermarkt and possesses a very similar skillset to that of Luiz.
The manager that signed him for Sheffield United, Paul Heckingbottom, was full of praise for Hamer upon his arrival at the club, saying: “He is tenacious. He is all action. He is brave to get on the ball, he is not scared to risk the ball, he is prepared to make things happen.”
“He will compete, he will tackle, he will run back. People like that are infectious.”
Whilst Hamer would perhaps not be the glamorous signing Villa fans dreamt of when they secured Champions League football, he could represent really astute business and be a Luiz replacement at a fraction of the price.
Although he has only been at the Sheffield club for one season, relegation should mean Hamer is available for a similar fee to the £15 million that was paid for him last summer which could significantly help ease Villa’s PSR pressures.
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