Dendoncker to quit and £38m man – Three players Aston Villa simply must sell
Aston Villa are looking to build a squad that can compete for Champions League qualification.
Last campaign, the Villans lost out on a top-five finish thanks to a controversial defeat against Manchester United on the final day.
That is now in the past, with attention now turning to the transfer market for Unai Emery, who will be keen to add quality to his squad in B6.
For this to be possible, sales will be required at Villa Park to help fund any potential incomings before the summer window comes to an end.
Now, Villa News has highlighted three players that simply must be sold by the claret and blue outfit to help fund moves for better players.
Aston Villa must get Leander Dendoncker off the books
At one point in time, it is fair to say that the Belgium international played a positive role in the squad in the Midlands, despite never being a regular starter.
This was showcased by a positive performance against Man United on Boxing Day 2023 as the midfielder netted in a 3-2 defeat for the Villans.
With that being said, the 30-year-old doesn’t fit in at Villa Park anymore, especially with the wages that Steven Gerrard and Co. handed him back in 2022.
With a huge weekly wage compared to his output, a sale would make sense from the B6 club’s perspective, but that doesn’t look like an easy option.
Even boyhood club Anderlecht hasn’t made his loan deal permanent, summing up the troubles that Monchi could have this summer.
Regardless of this, any way of getting the Belgian off the books is going to be a wise move moving deeper into the window.
Lewis Dobbin sale makes sense for all parties
It was indicative of PSR last summer that Villa were almost forced to complete swap deal transfers with other struggling sides.
This ultimately saw Tim Iroegbunam go to Everton, while Dobbin was the man that the Villans picked up in return.
It is safe to say that Emery came off worst in this deal, with the English winger struggling on two separate Championship loan spells last season.
Never did anyone truly think that the 22-year-old would ever be good enough to feature for the Villans’ first team, and as a result, a permanent exit could work for everyone involved.
It is unclear how much the Villans could demand for his signature, but any sort of value could prove to be useful for the accounts in B6.
Emi Buendia must move on from Aston Villa
Unfortunately for Beundia, it does feel as if it is the end of the road at Villa Park.
Having signed for a fee potentially reaching £38million from Norwich City, there was extremely high expectations for the Argentine.
That unfortunately hasn’t been the case besides a few flashes of brilliance, with an injury in the summer of 2023 ruling him out for a whole season.
| Stat | 2021/22 | 2022/23 | 2024/25 |
| Appearances | 37 | 43 | 19 |
| Goals | 4 | 5 | 1 |
| Assists | 6 | 3 | 0 |
Since then, the work of Emery has seen Villa move beyond the 28-year-old, something which truly doesn’t come as a fault of the attacking midfielder.
As a result, a summer sale this season could be the right move for all parties, with a move to Leeds United for Buendia potentially making perfect sense.
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