There appears to be a widely accepted understanding that Aston Villa will have to be astute in the transfer market this summer, as exits may well be needed to balance our books.
Such is the challenge of adhering to PSR and staying within the parameters set by the regulations to ensure we don’t risk sanctions, it has been suggested for months that Villa will potentially have to sell and weaken the squad in order to try and then strengthen it.
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While it’s hoped we can offload the likes of Philippe Coutinho, Leander Dendoncker and Calum Chambers, while neither Clement Lenglet nor Nicolo Zaniolo are expected to be signed on a permanent basis, that will begin the process of reducing the wage bill and making space in the squad for new faces.
However, it unfortunately may take more than that, with the Telegraph reporting this week that Villa are willing to sell Diego Carlos given his hefty wages, and while there is said to be interest in the Brazilian centre-half, his exit could ultimately help us in our attempt to keep Jacob Ramsey and other integral players at the club.
So, is Carlos an acceptable sacrifice to try and improve the squad this summer, or will we be losing a key figure and weakening ourselves?
After a devastating injury blow in his first year with us, the 31-year-old bounced back well this past season as he made 38 appearances across all competitions, establishing himself as a vital option for Emery, which also gave him all-important flexibility in how he set the side up for certain games.
Selling Carlos would leave a void in the group as we’d need to add competition for Ezri Konsa in that right-sided centre-half position, and so that will no doubt be a consideration for the club hierarchy as we perhaps have our sights set on a less expensive alternative.
Nevertheless, as we prepare for a Champions League campaign next season, Carlos boasts experience and technical quality that suits the European game, and he could excel in the competition as a formidable presence in the Villa backline.
Although he looked vulnerable at times this past year, he has the qualities to continue to be a pivotal figure, but some might argue that we could be shrewd in the upcoming transfer window and still manage to upgrade on him.
Looking at the wider picture though, if we can sell Carlos this summer, receive a decent transfer fee and shift his salary off the books, and if that in turn makes it easier for us to keep hold of other players while looking to add reinforcements, it’s a reshuffle that is arguably the best way to strengthen in the long run.
It’s unclear at this stage as to whether that would actually be enough in terms of sales to nullify the threat that PSR can pose us, but it would be a significant start, and many would perhaps argue that it’s a loss worth dealing with if it means we can avoid having to sell others, who have a big future ahead of them.