Aston Villa boss Unai Emery has praised goalkeeper Robin Olsen, but refused to confirm whether or not he would be leaving the club this summer.
The 35-year-old Swedish international has been with us since 2022, initially on a loan deal, and has gone on to make 21 appearances across all competitions.
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Given he has been a back-up option behind Emiliano Martinez during that time, it’s no real surprise that he has played such a limited role, and although he hasn’t always entirely convinced with his form between the posts, he has been an experienced and reliable presence in the squad, and a player who has been highly valued by Emery since he arrived.
With his contract set to expire this summer though, speculation has started to build over his future beyond this season, with reports in Sweden suggesting that he has already agreed terms on a deal with former club Malmo to seal a return.
Emery wouldn’t confirm either way what the future holds for Olsen as he is keen to focus on the more immediate challenges we face in the remainder of this campaign, but he was eager to praise the Swedish stalwart for being an important part of the group.
“We are focusing on the match tomorrow,” he told the media at his pre-Crystal Palace press conference. “There can be some individual issues [contracts], but especially with Robin Olsen, I respect him – before, now, and for his future – as a really amazing man and professional.
“The respect for him in the dressing room, from the players and myself as a coach, is massive. He is a fantastic guy. He always helps us when we need him, and he’s always positive with his teammates.
“He’s an example in every way, and the message he constantly sends in the dressing room is to think of others, not be selfish.
“He is a really great, great man – a great, great man and a great, great goalkeeper.
“We’ll focus on tomorrow, and whatever happens after the season, I’ll have respect especially for him.”
On one hand, Olsen has filled a key role for us over the past few years by offering cover for Martinez, and that in turn has allowed the hierarchy to focus on other areas of the squad in the more recent transfer windows.
However, it does feel as though it could be the right time for both parties to go their separate ways, with Olsen likely to get a more prominent role in the latter stages of his career at Malmo, while Villa have the likes of Joe Gauci and Oliwier Zych on the books ready to step up into that role, or we could consider the transfer market to address the issue.
Time will tell if Olsen has indeed secured a move elsewhere and his spell at Villa is coming to an end, but if it is, we’ll no doubt wish him the very best and look to improve that department of the squad moving forward.
