Aston Villa transfer news: two in and one out as PSR deadline passes
July has arrived and Villa's transfer activity has begun but Louie Barry's mooted move is in doubt
The profit and sustainability rules (PSR) deadline has passed and the summer is belatedly up and running.
Aston Villa went to extreme lengths to achieve PSR compliance and, in those circumstances, it was clear that incoming transfer business was unlikely before the end of June.
The agreed sale of Aston Villa Women meant that Villa were no more likely to sell low than they were to buy high in advance of the June 30th deadline and Villa’s tardy transfer window has begun in suitably understated fashion.
Villa aren’t out of the financial woods. UEFA has its own squad cost ratio rules and Villa must comply with those as a club in the Europa League next season.
Nevertheless, the first in and the first out of the summer have both been confirmed today, shortly after confirmation that Robin Olsen and Kortney Hause have left the club along with 2024/25 loanees Marcus Rashford, Marco Asensio and Axel Disasi.
Zépiqueno Redmond
Villa’s first new signing of the summer is Zépiqueno Redmond.
The 19-year-old striker has moved to Villa Park after the conclusion of his contract with Feyenoord, where he’d been playing since 2019.
Our scouting report (below) was published a month ago. Since then, Redmond helped the Netherlands win the Under-19 European Championship. He scored twice against Will Antwi’s England along the way.
Redmond is far from the finished article. He’s joined Villa to develop and grow, with the club demonstrating its intent to recruit young talent at low cost rather than spending big bucks to bring in players spotted and developed by other clubs.
It’s the only way.
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Yasin Özcan
Villa have also finalised the signing of 19-year-old Turkish defender Yasin Özcan, who joins the club having signed a pre-contract agreement back in January.
The teenager can play at left-back and centre-back, and played 94 senior matches for Istanbul side Kasımpaşa.
This week’s other transfer activity has been of the outbound variety, with one of the two mooted departures now finalised and the other encountering a snag.
Kaine Kesler-Hayden
22-year-old full-back Kaine Kesler-Hayden has been sold to Championship promotion hopefuls Coventry City.
John Townley reports that the transfer fee is around £5m and Kesler-Hayden leaves Villa having appeared in three Premier League matches and five overall for the senior team.
The defender has had loan spells at Swindon Town, Milton Keynes Dons, Huddersfield Town, Plymouth Argyle and Preston North End. He was the North Enders’ Player of the Year, Players’ Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year last season.
Louie Barry
22-year-old forward Louie Barry is also expected to leave on a permanent transfer after seven loan spells, most recently in League One with Stockport County and the Championship with Hull City.
A widely reported agreement between the parties to transfer Barry to the Tigers is believed to be worth a similar fee to Kesler-Hayden but is in danger of collapsing, according to local media in the West Midlands today.
Jacob Tanswell reports that Villa are expected to include a sell-on clause that could be as high as 50% for the former Barcelona and West Bromwich Albion youth.