Aston Villa to include buy-back clause in £3m Celtic deal if Viljami Sinisalo leaves
Bryan King claims Aston Villa would include a buy-back clause if they were to allow Viljami Sinisalo to leave the club amid a Celtic transfer update.
The ex-Villa scout believes now is the right time for the 22-year-old goalkeeper to make the step up, whether that is with Villa or elsewhere.
It comes after a report in the Scottish Daily Mail (page 77, 3 May) revealed that Celtic have placed Sinisalo on a list of potential replacements for Joe Hart, with Villa valuing the Finland international at around £3million.
And King – speaking exclusively to Villa News – believes the club won’t let Sinisalo go without including an option to bring him back.
“Olsen had a game to forget against Olympiacos, and I will be interested to see if he is still at Villa Park next year,” King said.
“Perhaps Villa could keep hold of Sinisalo as a replacement for Olsen. If he has attracted Celtic’s attention then he must have been playing well, and perhaps he is ready to be Villa’s number two.
“That might be Villa’s prime objective if Olsen is to move on. At this age, this would be the right time for Sinisalo to come into the squad and learn from the best.
“And if they do sell him, then I imagine a buy-back clause would be involved, as that is often the case today when young players move on.”
Aston Villa must decide what to do with goalkeeper Viljami Sinisalo
Sinisalo has impressed while on loan this season in EFL League One with Exeter City.
The shot-stopper claimed six awards at the club’s end-of-season awards night, including the supporters’ and teammates’ Player of the Year.
Emiliano Martinez makes the prospect of Sinisalo getting into the Villa first-team a near impossibility, but after the season he has had, he will be keen to make the next step.
A move to Celtic might therefore tempt him, and should Villa let him go, they will have to hope they don’t live to regret their decision.
In other Aston Villa news, Alisha Lehmann has sent Douglas Luiz a message of support after what happened against Olympiacos.
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