Pundit baffled by last-gasp Newcastle United push for Jacob Ramsey as Aston Villa stance emerges
We’re delighted to welcome former Aston Villa full-back Alan Hutton as our exclusive columnist. Each week he’ll be giving his views on the biggest talking points at Villa Park…
Alan Hutton has admitted that he is baffled by the prospect of Newcastle United signing Aston Villa ace Jacob Ramsey late in the January transfer window, questioning where Eddie Howe’s side have found £50million.
Reports emerged from David Ornstein [The Athletic, 29 January] that the Magpies had made an approach to sign the 22-year-old midfielder this month, with both Bayern Munich and Tottenham also holding an interest.
Aston Villa are reluctant to sell Ramsey before Thursday (1 February) night’s transfer deadline but it is understood that Unai Emery’s side may be forced to consider an offer upwards of £50million, given their current financial fair play position.
While Hutton admits that such a sale would be incredibly beneficial for Villa financially, he believes that Emery and Villa will do everything that they can to keep Ramsey at Villa Park and can’t see him being sold in the final hours of the window.
“I think so, we all know with the academy graduates it’s all profit,” Hutton told Villa News.
“The £50million would all go to the club so for FFP it would be a really good deal. That being said, you don’t want to lose the academy players who are coming through and I think he’s been excellent since coming into the first team.
“It’s been a difficult season for him though injury, obviously because of the knock he picked up in the summer which has made it a little bit difficult for him to get back in, but he has done well when he has.
“It’s an interesting one when I see about Newcastle because I’m thinking, where have they got £50million from with their problems with financial fair play unless they’ve got something up their sleeve to sell somebody?
“I just can’t see him going there, I think Unai Emery would want to keep him and just see where it goes.”
Injury issues have seen Ramsey limited to only four starts in the Premier League this season and while he has impressed in his limited game time, a big offer either in the final moments of the window or in the summer could see Aston Villa forced to sell their academy product.
It feels likely that Emery and his recruitment team will be able to keep the 22-year-old in the midlands at least until the end of the season, but this is a transfer saga that could reignite come the end of the season.
In other Aston Villa news, Hutton has urged Emery to sell two players before Thursday night’s transfer deadline
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