Aston Villa halfway towards sealing £13m sale of player with ‘big potential’
Unai Emery has been forced to sell multiple key players in the transfer window.
Profit and Sustainability rules have been a constant issue for the Villans this summer, as they have been able to complete limited business.
Aston Villa were forced to sell Jacob Ramsey to Newcastle for £40million, and have completed just one costly permanent addition in Evann Guessand for £26million.
Plenty of players were loaned out over the summer to free up wages in the Villa squad, with potential permanent exits imminent.
Enzo Barrenechea closes in on permanent exit
Leon Bailey was sent out on loan to Roma, following a difficult spell last season.
The wingers’ move includes an option to buy worth £19million, which can be activated by the Italian side in 2026.
Enzo Barrenechea also joined Benfica on loan in the summer for a fee of £2.6million, after finding his gametime at Villa Park limited.
He joined the Villans from Juventus alongside Samuel Illing-Junior last summer, but was loaned out straight away to Valencia, where he played 30 times.
- Barrenechea has yet to play a competitive game for Villa
- Villa paid an initial £7million for the midfielder
- The deal also included £2.5million in add-ons, which are unlikely to have been activated.
His move to Benfica includes an obligation to buy for £10.4million, which will take the total package to £13million.
O Jogo now reports that Barrenechea is halfway towards making his loan stint permanent.
It’s claimed Bruno Lage’s side will have to make the Argentina internationals’ stay permanent when he makes 15 appearances for them.
- Read more: Aston Villa readying blockbuster January move for Jean-Philippe Mateta as asking price set
Unai Emery once said Enzo Barrenechea had ‘big potential’
Speaking when Barrenechea first joined, Emery said: “Tomorrow he is in the squad. He’s working very well.
“He has big potential, and his process is here with us. I am happy with him…His adaptation in the squad is fantastic.”
However, since the Spaniard’s comments, the midfielder has yet to return to the squad, and Villa are set to make a quick profit after just two years.
You have to feel for Emery, who clearly thought that Barrenechea would become an important player at Villa Park.
Whether the midfielder was offloaded due to no longer being required or whether he was loaned to ease PSR issues remains to be seen.
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