Jeff Stelling absolutely certain Unai Emery was forced to sell player against his wishes
Jeff Stelling has been left unimpressed by Aston Villa’s summer transfer business.
Villa ended the window with loan deals for Harvey Elliott and Jadon Sancho, while also adding Victor Lindelof on a free transfer after he left Manchester United.
This trio joined big-money Villa signing Evann Guessand from OGC Nice after Marco Bizot came in to become the new number two keeper.
With that being said, some have been left unsure about the business at Villa Park, which many believe has weakened the Villans’ squad.
Unai Emery has a sizable influence at Bodymoor Heath, but Stelling believes one particular departure went against the Spaniard’s wishes.
Unai Emery let down by Aston Villa sale
There is no hiding away from the financial borders that the B6 club have had to work against this summer, resulting in the annoyance around the window.
As a result, the sale of Jacob Ramsey to Newcastle United seemed to be something that the Villans’ hierarchy couldn’t turn down.
This was a huge cause of frustration among the claret and blue faithful, who were fuming to have lost an academy product to a direct rival.
Ramsey has since made his Magpies debut, while Villa were left scrambling on deadline day to find a replacement.
With that in mind, Stelling believes the move to sell the Englishman went against the wishes of Emery, moving deeper into the window.
Speaking on talkSPORT on 2 September, the presenter said: “They had to sell Jacob Ramsey, who I’m absolutely certain Unai Emery didn’t want to sell.”
Aston Villa won’t miss Jacob Ramsey
Realistically, if there was no academy connection to the 24-year-old, the Villa fans would arguably back the £40million sale of the Englishman.
Considering the fact that he had scored just two Premier League goals in as many years paints a picture of a player who hasn’t truly been good enough for a while.
| Stat | 2024/25 | 2023/24 |
| Appearances | 29 | 16 |
| Goals | 1 | 1 |
| Assists | 3 | 1 |
As a result, getting him off the wage books and landing a pure profit deal can only be seen as a positive, regardless of what Stelling believes.
Emery would have liked to keep Ramsey around, but with the current financial state of football, these sorts of sales can’t be passed up.
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