Every Aston Villa player who'll have their future to play for in 2026-27 Premier League season
Aston Villa could be set for a very interesting 2026-27 season.
The last campaign may have ended with Europa League victory and Champions League qualification, but that has meant very little this summer.
Unai Emery has been clear that he didn't expect the window to be as turbulent as it has been.
There have been plenty of changes on and off the pitch, something that will certainly take some getting used to.
The Villa Park faithful continue to back their head coach, who has never given them any reason to doubt him.
The Villans are set to get their season underway against Brighton on Sunday, and now, Villa News has assessed three players whose B6 futures could be on the line.
Aston Villa can't wait on Lamare Bogarde forever
There is a need for certain players to step up to be counted in the upcoming campaign.
Familiar faces need to hit the ground running and prove why they deserve to stick around.
Lamare Bogarde is certainly one of those after two rather underwhelming campaigns.
The Dutchman is a useful option for Emery and his versatility has allowed him to feature in midfield, at right-back and centre-back.
He has never truly thrived in any of those and that limited him to just 11 Premier League starts last time around.
The 22-year-old won just 52.3 per cent of his ground duels and was dispossessed 0.86 times per 90.
These sort of numbers prove his unreliability at times and show why he is hardly trusted.
Victor Lindelof was preferred to him towards the end of last season and possibly could be again.
It is a big season for Bogarde.
Tammy Abraham faces do or die season
There was so much excitement when Tammy Abraham returned to Villa Park after seven years.
The memories of his loan spell were great, especially having scored 26 in 40 appearances across all competitions.
He hasn't lived up to those heights in 2026 having scored just two Premier League goals in claret and blue.
There were some positive underlying numbers with his 0.66 expected goals, 1.29 chances created and 7.10 touches in the opposition box per 90 among some of the best in the division.
That is encouraging, but he needs to make good on that this season.
If he doesn't, there is every chance he could be shipped back out of the Midlands.
Ross Barkley fighting for his Aston Villa future
There's hardly anyone left in this Villa squad with more Premier League experience than Ross Barkley.
That certainly means something, having made 53 appearances since his B6 return in the summer of 2024.
Last season, he featured 21 times and put up four goal involvement as he averaged a goal or assist every 213 minutes.
That is certainly a positive, but with his contract set to expire next summer, he is playing for his future.
Barkley needs to feature more regularly and make a telling impact when he gets the chance from Emery.
If he does that, a new deal could be in the pipeline, otherwise he'll likely be departing in 12 months.