Unai Emery to make Calum Chambers transfer call after surprise Aston Villa development
Aston Villa will “look to move” Calum Chambers on in the summer despite his surprise return to the first team in recent weeks, according to Alan Hutton.
The versatile defender was linked with a summer move to West Brom in the January transfer window [Daily Mail, 1 February] after Unai Emery admitted the 29-year-old was free to leave Villa Park as they were no longer required [Jacob Tanswell, 12 January].
No such move transpired and Chambers has spent the majority of the season watching from the bench, however, in Monday’s (13 April) draw with Liverpool, the former Arsenal man picked up an assist in a 10-minute midfield cameo.
Although Hutton thinks the former England international is more than capable of deputising in the middle of the park against Crystal Palace, he admits that he expects him to be sold in the summer to make room for “better targets”.
“Look I don’t think so if I’m totally honest,” Hutton told Villa News.
“I think the different situations, Zaniolo I felt for coming on and then having to go off, Tielemans was just back from an injury and he had to go off which meant there was not much room to manoeuvre unless you bring on the kids.
“I think he came on because he’s more than capable of playing in a midfield position for the time that he was on, but I still think they will look to move him on in the summer.
“They’ll probably try and get their better targets through the door to kick on, especially if they get into the Champions League.”
Will Unai Emery and Aston Villa sell Calum Chambers during the summer transfer window?
It speaks volumes of where Chambers lies in Emery’s pecking order currently that he has been unable to force his way into the starting XI regularly even in a season where the Villans have been riddled with injury issues.
Tyrone Mings has missed all bar the first game of the season while Ezri Konsa, Pau Torres, Diego Carlos and Matty Cash have spent time on the treatment table which has left Chambers the perfect chance to establish himself.
Still, the 29-year-old has spent the majority of the campaign watching from the bench. He is surplus to requirements under Emery and one bright 10-minute cameo in the middle of the park will not change that heading into the summer.
Hopefully, Villa will be able to earn a reasonable fee for his signature when the window opens at the end of the season and reinvest that into Emery’s playing group as they begin to prepare for a Champions League campaign.
In other Aston Villa news, Villa could be “forced” to sell Jacob Ramsey during the summer transfer window amid PSR concerns
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