OPINION
To say that Aston Villa have suffered as a result of their failure to secure promotion to the Premier League is the understatement of the summer – but there may well be a light at the end of this long tunnel.
The Villans are in the middle of a financial crisis, with owner Tony Xia said by the Mirror (13/07, 10:26) to have told manager Steve Bruce that there are no funds available whatsoever, even to secure the signing of free transfers.
It is pretty clear that Villa need to sell before they can think about bringing in any new recruits before the transfer window slams shut, and getting some big earners off their books could be the way to free up space, both in the squad and on the wage bill, for reinforcements to join Bruce and his men.
Midfielder Mile Jedinak, who is said to be on huge £50,000-a-week wages, is reported by the Mirror to be on the brink of securing an exit on a cut price fee from the club, with a contract deal with a European club claimed to be close to completion.
If that is true, then the midlands club may be on the way to taking their first major step towards balancing the books and giving Bruce room to operate in the summer window – a massive boost for their transfer hopes.
Losing a player of Jedinak’s quality might be a blow, but if it comes down to the Australian midfielder or the club’s future, fans will have no problem waving goodbye to the former Crystal Palace man.