Aston Villa will push to sell outcast Calum Chambers in summer after failed January exit
Aston Villa will look to sell Calum Chambers during the summer transfer window after Unai Emery failed to offload the 28-year-old in January, according to Alan Hutton.
Emery admitted that he had told the former Arsenal defender, along with Bertrand Traore, that he was free to leave Villa Park during the January transfer window [Jacob Tanswell, 12 January]. But as the window slammed shut, Chambers remained an Aston Villa player.
Reports emerged that Chambers turned down three offers on deadline day from a host of Championship clubs [Football Insider, 1 February], including West Brom, with the Daily Mail (1 February) reporting that the Baggies had enquired about the 28-year-old’s availability in January.
Hutton has admitted that he expected to see the versatile defender sold last month, but doesn’t expect to see him feature much in Emery’s side between now and the end of the season with a summer sale the most likely option.
“I thought he was one that would move on if I’m honest,” Hutton told Villa News.
“He’s probably not got the game time that he would have wanted and there are a lot of players ahead of him at this moment in time. I know he’s quite versatile and can play in a number of positions, but I don’t really ever see him being a centre-half or a right-back at Villa.
“The way that they play with the high-line and the pace that is needed, I don’t think he suits it at this moment in time.
“I’m surprised that he didn’t move on in January, but that being said, come the summer depending on the recruitment I think that might be when he looks to leave.”
Unai Emery must shift Calum Chambers out of Aston Villa
It appears as though Aston Villa couldn’t have done much more to ship Chambers out of the door during the January window. They not only made his availability known to the world but even negotiated with several clubs to organise a sale.
Across all competitions this season, the 28-year-old has only managed to make three appearances and has spent a large majority of the campaign rooted to the substitutes bench having fallen down the pecking order at Villa Park.
When the summer comes around, Villa will likely do all they can to once again shift the centre-back on again, but it seems as though they’ll have to find him a Premier League suitor to get him off of their books.
In other Aston Villa news, Hutton has offered his verdict on Bailey’s new contract at Villa Park
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