Aston Villa have confirmed that Ahmed Elmohamady, Neil Taylor and Tom Heaton have left the club with their respective contracts set to expire next month.
The trio were set to see their deals run down this summer, and with no indication of any renewals being offered and accepted, it appeared as though they were all set to move on.
READ MORE: Why Buendia could be ideal signing for Aston Villa this summer
As noted by the club’s official site, that has now been confirmed by Villa, who have wished the trio all the best moving forward as they now embark on new challenges.
Elmohamady proved to be a crucial signing in 2017 as he played a key role for us in our bid to get back to the Premier League, making 129 appearances for the club along the way.
Taylor also notched over 100 appearances for Villa after arriving in 2017 with 103 in total across all competitions, and similarly to Elmo, he played a big part in our promotion push.
As for Heaton, he was an important signing two years ago to provide experience and quality between the posts, but his season was cut short that year due to a serious injury, and he has since seen himself fall down the pecking order along with the defensive duo he joins in leaving this summer.
It’s hoped that they all find a new home in the near future or perhaps a new challenge moving forward, while Villa will now assess the situation and consider whether or not any signings are needed to fill these voids.
Matty Cash has cemented his place as first-choice right-back with Ezri Konsa capable of shifting across in his absence, while Kaine Kesler could be knocking on the door in the coming years too.
On the left side, Matt Targett is a certainty on the team sheet at left-back, but there is a lack of alternative options in that department and so Villa may need to discuss their options.
As for the goalkeeper room, Emiliano Martinez will have Jed Steer for company while Lovre Kalinic returns from a loan spell this summer. Time will tell if that trio is enough for Dean Smith and the management to move forward with, without having to dip into the transfer market.
Thank you, @Elmo_27. 👑 pic.twitter.com/E4yKqLjaDN
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) May 28, 2021