Aston Villa could reportedly be open to approving an exit for Lamare Bogarde this summer as contract talks are on hold until June 30 for a key quartet.
While our success from last season was a major highlight of the Unai Emery era thus far, the challenge for the club now is to build on that and continue to strengthen the squad where possible in order to add more silverware to the collection.
However, it promises to continue to be a difficult process given the ongoing financial limitations that we face, with the expectation that we will once again have to balance our books with sales and use those funds to make our own signings this summer.
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June 30 has become a prominent date in our calendars as it has signalled a need to ensure our books are balanced for the end of the financial year, and although it doesn’t seem as dramatic a situation as we found ourselves in previous years, it still looks set to impact us.
According to The Athletic, despite holding preliminary talks with Bogarde, Youri Tielemans, Ross Barkley and Ezri Konsa, no new deals are expected to be signed before June 30. To add to that point, it’s questionable in the case of Tielemans and Konsa if the World Cup will further delay that process.
It remains to be seen if Barkley extends his stay with us as although he struggled with injury setbacks last season, he remained a valuable option for Emery when available to give us a different dynamic and approach in midfield.
However, the report above adds although Villa are keen to agree on new terms with Bogarde, if a ‘sensible’ offer were to come in for the talented youngster, then the club would be open to an exit.
The 22-year-old has established himself as an important part of the squad for Emery, making 44 appearances across all competitions last season.
His versatility is undoubtedly a major strength as he can play in central defence, at full-back or in midfield, and he has certainly developed and improved with experience.
If a sacrifice were needed this summer though and it was Bogarde, then it would be a blow that we can cope with given the other options in the squad, and so time will tell what his future holds and if an exit helps unlock our own transfer activity.
