OPINION
With Steve Bruce confirming that if Aston Villa are promoted Alan Hutton will receive a new contract, the club should prioritise keeping him ahead of John Terry.
Both veteran defenders could leave the club in the summer with their contracts due to expire at the end of the season, and Bruce previously told the Birmingham Mail that the club would face difficulties handing out new deals due to Financial Fair Play regulations.
However since then, Bruce shared that Hutton was likely to get a new deal if the Villans won promotion to the Premier League this season.
“If we get promoted I will offer him (Hutton) a new contract,” said Bruce on Friday, as quoted by the Birmingham Mail.
Bruce’s original comments made the 33-year-old look destined for the exit door, however this latest update suggests he has a future at the club with the Villans currently look likely to get promoted.
Aston Villa sit second in the Championship ahead of playing Fulham on Saturday at Craven Cottage, after winning seven league games in a row.
Hutton has looked solid in the 24 appearances he has made this season, but he has not achieve the same level of plaudits that Terry has earned during this campaign.
The former Chelsea defender has been praised for his performances during his 22 outings for the club this season, with many impressed by the 37-year-old’s ability to still deliver game-changing displays at his age.
The Daily Mirror previously reported that Bruce was likely to offer Terry a new contract in order to keep at the club, even though the centre-back has his eyes set on a move back to Chelsea.
Now there’s no arguing that Terry has delivered more impressive performances than his teammate Hutton this season, but Aston Villa must prioritise keeping the 33-year-old over him, if financial regulations limits them.
Firstly it’s highly likely that Terry costs more than Hutton to have at the club, with the Birmingham Mail reporting that the 38-year-old has a deal which could see him earn £4million-a-year if he triggers bonuses.
There’s no way Hutton is that costly even though he has been at the club for seven years.
Aside from the money, the main reason the Villans should ensure Hutton stays rather than Terry is because he will be more useful than the centre-back in the Premier League.
The 33-year-old, who is naturally right-back, has shown his ability to adapt to whatever position Bruce sees fit to play him.
Hutton is currently playing at left-back to cover the absence of Neil Taylor and despite it not being his position, has been adequate cover.
Also while being 33 may seem old to some, the defender still looks able to match the pace of the Premier League, which is something that Terry did not look capable of doing, during his last season at Chelsea.
Therefore for these reasons even though Terry would be worth keeping at the club, Hutton is the defender Aston Villa should ensure gets a new contract in the summer.