Aston Villa have ramped up their preparations for a return to the Premier League as contract talks are scheduled over those set to become free agents this summer, according to the Express and Star.
The newspaper claim on their website that the Villans are now set to sit down with Glenn Whelan, Mile Jedinak, Alan Hutton, Albert Adomah and Tommy Elphick to discuss their futures at the club, with a decision over the five said to arrive in the coming days.
All of the aforementioned players have played their part in Villa’s successful promotion campaign, with a play-off victory making up for the heartbreak of 12 months ago, but they could find themselves leaving Villa Park if Dean Smith and the club decide not to keep them on board for the top flight.
Opinion
Those five names are pretty notable ones in the Villa squad and to lose all of them would leave a gaping hole in terms of experience heading back to the Premier League. Yes, improvements are needed if they are going to stave off the threat of relegation this time next year but you cannot afford to make wholesale changes and risk throwing the balance of the side off kilter – just ask Fulham, who spent big last summer but are being replaced by Villa for next season. Are any going to be regular starters for Dean Smith? Probably not, but football is not just about the 11 players out on the pitch. There needs to be quality in depth and those facing the exit could be adept enough to fill places in the squad. It might require Villa to negotiate a different sort of contract, perhaps one more focused on earning as they play rather than a hefty basic wage but with Premier League money confirmed, the players and their representatives might feel they are in the driving seat. Whether any stay on board for next season is up to Smith but he would be risking plenty if he were to let five senior players leave for nothing.