Aston Villa: Dan Bardell shares likelihood of Calum Chambers and Bertrand Traore exits as last-gasp ‘panic’ deals mooted
We’re delighted to welcome Sky Sports journalist Dan Bardell as our exclusive Aston Villa columnist as each week he’ll be giving his views on the biggest talking points at the club…
Dan Bardell has mooted potential last-gasp exits for Aston Villa outcasts Calum Chambers and Bertrand Traore in the final few days of the January transfer window.
Speaking in a press conference on 12 January, Villa boss Unai Emery revealed that the pair are free to find new clubs this month, having fallen down the pecking order this season.
The 28-year-old Traore, who is currently away with Burkina Faso at the Africa Cup of Nations, has played just six times on the wing for the Villans during this campaign, while right-back Chambers has featured even less, making just three appearances.
Bardell believes the 29-year-old Chambers is the player more likely to exit Villa Park this month due to Traore being away at AFCON and likely to return from the competition with an injury – a pattern that has occurred regularly when he’s gone away with his country.
Speaking exclusively to Villa News, Bardell said: “It’s one of those where you have to wait until the end of the window and think that a team might suddenly panic and think that they need something to take them off your hands.
“There have been reports that they’re both available and that there is interest in and around Europe for them, but there isn’t anything firm yet. They’re two players that have barely played who will be getting paid well that Villa can afford to lose.
“If any kind of reasonable offer comes in, those two players will leave. I think of the two, Chambers is probably more likely to leave than Bertrand Traore.
“I can see Traore seeing out his contract, he’s on a big wage, he’s away at the Africa Cup of Nations at the moment. Every time he goes away with his country, he comes back injured, that will probably happen again, and he’ll see out the season in the treatment room.
“But he had a good first season Traore and even last season when he was recalled he scored a couple of winners in a positive run for Villa, Leicester away and Bournemouth at home.
“He would go with my best wishes, but he’s very much surplus to requirements like Chambers.”
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