Unai Emery loses trust as he prepares to sell Aston Villa defender
Aston Villa are set to trim their squad this summer, and several fringe players could be headed towards the exit door.
Unai Emery and Monchi need to raise funds to comply with financial regulations for the Premier League and UEFA, and any transfer fees could be welcomed.
Aston Villa have a large squad which they will need to maintain as they prepare to compete in the Europa League, but there are some expendable players who will be allowed to leave.
One defender is now on the transfer list, as Emery has lost faith in him to be part of his squad.
Aston Villa to sell Alex Moreno amid Real Betis interest
Aston Villa have a surplus of left-backs, which meant that they loaned Alex Moreno to Nottingham Forest last summer.
This deal took place before Forest became Villa’s direct competitors in the league, but it was not one which worked out for any party.
Injuries disrupted Moreno’s progress after a bright start at Forest, and it has now become clear that he needs to leave Villa permanently, with just one year left on his deal.
| Stat | Moreno |
| Appearances | 48 |
| Goals | 3 |
| Assists | 3 |
Spanish outlet Diario De Sevilla (4 June) have now reported that Moreno is “no longer trusted” by Emery, and as a result, he could return to Real Betis this summer.
Betis need a left-back after Ricardo Rodriguez and Romain Perraud failed to convince throughout the season, and Moreno is keen on a return to Seville as he also has family ties there.
Aston Villa need to trim squad
Moreno needs to be one of several outgoings as Villa aim to get rid of the deadwood within their squad, and given that Emery does not want him, a departure this summer makes sense.
Villa can still earn a fee for Moreno, but given Betis’ difficult financial situation, this may be minimal.
However, earning a transfer fee and ending his contract a year early is better than losing Moreno for free next year.
Aston Villa may need to make a big sale this summer with Emi Martinez among those linked with an exit, and this is a good chance for Monchi to upgrade the options at his disposal.