JUST IN: Nottingham Forest front-runners to sign £40m Aston Villa star who is ‘unhappy’ at the club as agreement will be finalized in the next seven hours….however 

JUST IN: Nottingham Forest front-runners to sign £40m Aston Villa star who is ‘unhappy’ at the club as agreement will be finalized in the next seven hours….however

One Aston Villa star has been rumoured to exit Villa Park this summer

Aston Villa have been on a rapid rise in recent years and most players across the squad have seen their careers change for the better under Unai Emery.

The Spaniard took over a struggling squad in 2022/23 and brought them to European qualification within the same season. The club have not looked back since then, with a sprinkling of stardust brought in across the squad but a large core of the group remaining.

The Villains’ story has served to prove that the top tables of English football are not a closed door during the PSR era, despite the fact that Villa have had the threat of financial breaches hanging over them and were recently fined £9.5m by UEFA.

 

In a squad full of players thriving at the top of their game, one former top prospect has found himself struggling with a lack of playing time in recent years. He may be on his way out of Villa Park this summer.

Nottingham Forest have been touted as the front-runners to secure a move for Jacob Ramsey, who came through Villa’s academy but may decide to reluctantly depart his boyhood club for a new challenge this summer.

Football Insider report that Forest may be in prime position to land the midfielder, with the offer of European football and the prospect of replacing Morgan Gibbs-White in the Forest side potential deciding factors. Everton, Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United have also been cited as holding an interest in the 24-year-old.

The report continues that Villa may be willing to accept offers of around £40-£50m, which would represent pure profit for an academy product amidst the Villains’ continued financial restrains. Mail Sport reported last month that Villa value Ramsey at around £40m. The club’s recent sale of their women’s team supposedly meant that they are not forced to sell key assets, but a huge offer for a player whose future at Villa Park is ‘uncertain’ may be difficult to turn down.

 

Would Ramsey sale be the right move?

While it is always difficult to part ways with an academy product for all parties involved, it is difficult to argue against this move making logical sense. He only made 19 Premier League starts last season despite being fit for nearly the whole campaign and is likely not currently seen as the long-term plan for a starting role wide left, while Morgan Rogers has made the central attacking midfield position his own.

Ramsey was said to be “unhappy” due to his lack of game time earlier this year, which could signify that the player himself may be open to a switch. He is heading into a make-or-break part of his career when it comes to nailing down a regular starting spot and attempting to break into the England squad as he rapidly approaches his prime years. Ramsey played for England at every youth level from U18 upwards but has not yet earnt a cap for the senior side, not featuring for any age-group since 2023 amidst prolonged injury issues.

 

If the right offer were to come in from Forest, with the player offered a regular starting role and the prospect of shining in Europe next season, then it is possible that a heavy-hearted exit for Ramsey may be in the offing before the window is shut.