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Unai Emery admits Aston Villa may sell a key player this summer as they try to stay in line with spending rules.
Financial Fair Play regulations are high on the agenda for Premier League clubs, with Nottingham Forest to learn on Monday if they will be charged with breaching them. Everton have received a 10-point penalty for overstepping the mark.
Villa are likely to be cautious in this transfer window but will push on again in the summer — though that could mean selling one of their midfield linchpins Douglas Luiz or Boubacar Kamara to fund their ambitions.
‘We are trying to keep to Financial Fair Play while holding on to the best players in our squad,’ said Emery, whose team will move level on points with Premier League leaders Liverpool if they win at Everton on Sunday.
‘But of course we are not closed off to selling someone if a very good offer comes in and it gives us the possibility to improve our FFP position.
Unai Emery admits Aston Villa may sell a key player this summer as they try to stay in line with spending rules
Financial Fair Play regulations are high on the agenda for Premier League clubs like Villa
‘We are going to work with respect to the rules. However, we must be sure we do not lose our potential as a team — even if we have to sell some players.
‘It can be dangerous when you sell players just to have money. It can be difficult to replace them while remaining successful.’
As Villa signed Kamara on a free transfer in summer 2022, any fee he generates would represent pure profit. He and Luiz are valued at about £100million apiece.
Meanwhile, Everton boss Sean Dyche played down talk of winger Arnaut Danjuma leaving the club this month and said he is in line to feature against Villa.
Villa are likely to be cautious in this transfer window but will push on again in the summer
Danjuma posted a picture of himself on board a plane this week amid talk of a move to Lyon. He joined the Toffees on a season-long loan from Villarreal in the summer but has struggled to nail down a place in Dyche’s team.
But Dyche has rubbished talk of Danjuma’s loan being cut short, saying: ‘The situation is simple — he’s an Everton player. He played in the last game and has a fair chance of playing in the next one.’
