Aston Villa are in a position where they may need to sell players to meet the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules and there is plenty of contention surrounding their situation from fans, pundits and journalists alike.

Aston Villa's PSR situation and who may leave the club this summer

In short, Aston Villa are one of the Premier League’s most at-risk clubs with PSR heading towards the deadline on June 30th. Per The Athletic’s projection, they can only lose £15 million in 2024/25 to remain within regulatory boundaries.

Unai Emery’s men have recorded a pre-tax loss of £206.2 million in the last two years, which is the highest deficit across the top-flight in that time and leaves the Birmingham-based outfit in danger of punishment.

Big money sales such as Jhon Duran leaving for Al Nassr and Leon Bailey’s anticipated move to Saudi Arabian outfit Neom SC have left hope that the Villans can evade any form of penalty.

However, they are teetering on the brink and their failure to qualify for Champions League football ended up being a massive setback, especially when Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio’s expensive loan deals formed part of their bid to secure a place despite already treading water in their efforts to balance the books.

There have been suggestions that Aston Villa could sell stakes in their women’s team to make ends meet, an option that remains active following a failed bill to cancel that practice after Chelsea flipped £90 million in losses to a £128 million profit in 2024.

Aston Villa now seriously interested in signing "aggressive" 13-goal rival

He could be on the move.

By
Tom Cunningham

Jun 5, 2025

Losing a maximum of £105 million over three rolling years is the limit for Premier League clubs in order to comply. Still, not everyone is happy at the rules that their clubs have to abide by to evade sanctions.

Journalist fumes at Aston Villa PSR latest

Taking to social media platform X, iNews correspondent Mark Douglas vented his frustration at Aston Villa’s need to sell and made the point that Newcastle United have suffered a similar fate in their efforts to progress as a club.

Admittedly, PSR has become a controversial topic among football fans for a number of reasons, with some feeling that the traditional ‘Big Six’ clubs are protected more than others due to the ease in making ‘pure profit’ sales or by filing via subsidiaries of their PLC’s entity.

Regulation is critical to promote fairness, though there are clear elements in the current system that leave a lot to be desired. Aston Villa find themselves in a frustrating situation and will need to meticulously ensure they don’t fall foul of the authorities.

Others will argue their wage to revenue ratio is a problem, brought on by decisions such as paying £227,500 of Marcus Rashford’s salary weekly during his stay. Either way, the rise of PSR over the last few years has become a contentious issue and continues to limit the progression of those attempting to challenge the traditional order.

Allrounder Shivam Dube has been ruled out of India’s T20I series against Bangladesh due to a back injury. Tilak Varma has replaced him in the squad for the three-match series which begins in Gwalior on Sunday.Dube had also suffered a side strain this February which had ruled him out of Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy semi-final game. He has been a regular in India’s T20I side since he returned to the national set-up last August.Since his comeback, Dube has scored 377 runs in 23 games at an average of 31.41 and a strike rate of 126.93. That run included back-to-back unbeaten half-centuries against Afghanistan in January and also crucial cameos in India’s title-winning run at the T20 World Cup in the West Indies and USA. He has also picked seven wickets in this period.Related

• Gwalior takes centre stage as youthful India prepare for experienced Bangladesh

• International cricket returns to Gwalior after 14 years, at a brand new venue

• Suryakumar: 'Mayank has the X factor, important to manage him well'

Dube’s last competitive game came for India A against India B in the first round of the Duleep Trophy in Bengaluru. He bowled only 12 overs in the match – all in the first innings – and scored 20 and 14 with the bat.Tilak, meanwhile, has played 16 T20Is so far, the last of which was the first T20I against Afghanistan in Mohali in January. Although primarily a middle-order batter, Tilak also bowls part-time offspin. A BCCI release said Tilak will link up with the squad in Gwalior on Sunday morning.

India’s T20I squad vs Bangladesh

: Suryakumar Yadav (capt), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Rinku Singh, Hardik Pandya, Riyan Parag, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Varun Chakaravarthy, JItesh Sharma (wk), Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Mayank Yadav, Tilak Varma

Glamorgan chief executive says ‘contact has been made’ with Hollywood duo who have transformed Wrexham’s fortunes

Matt Roller16-Sep-2024Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenny, the Hollywood actors and co-owners of Wrexham AFC, have been in contact with Glamorgan about the prospect of buying a stake in Welsh Fire, the Cardiff-based team in the Hundred.Reynolds and McElhenny, who took ownership of Wrexham in November 2020, have witnessed back-to-back promotions in 2022-23 and 2023-24, with the club now playing in the third tier of English football. The pair are believed to be considering further investment in Welsh sport.The ECB formally started the process for securing private investment in the Hundred earlier this month. Raine, the American investment bank, has distributed prospectuses to interested parties and Vikram Banerjee, who is leading the process as the ECB’s director of business operations, said there has been a “phenomenal level of interest from a diverse mix of investors”.Sophia Gardens, Glamorgan’s home ground, has the smallest capacity of any venue in the Hundred, and Welsh Fire are expected to be the cheapest franchise with an estimated valuation of around £30 million. Revenue from initial investments will be distributed across the counties but Glamorgan will be handed a 51% stake in Welsh Fire which they can control.Related

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Lancashire want IPL link for Manchester Originals

Glamorgan have spoken to a number of different interested parties over the past few months, with the owners of Pakistan Super League franchise Multan Sultans understood to be among them. But there has been particular intrigue around the prospect of Reynolds and McElhenny buying a stake which Dan Cherry, the club’s chief executive, believes is “an exciting proposition”.Cherry told ESPNcricinfo: “It is a feasible option. Contact’s been made. There’s not been anything substantial come back yet, but we’re in the process and I know that they’ll certainly be included in any process that we’ve got going forward. All bids and offers that are going to come in are going to be interesting to us, and we’re going to have to evaluate what the best bid is for us.”There’s obvious interest in what Ryan Reynolds and the guys have done at Wrexham, which has been fantastic for football in North Wales. That doesn’t necessarily mean to say that it’ll be the right option for us, but if they’re interested in talking to us, obviously it’s an exciting proposition.”The majority of IPL franchises are expected to bid for stakes in Hundred teams, though the ECB are reluctant to replicate the SA20’s ownership model where every team is IPL-owned. Private equity firms CVC and RedBird Capital are also understood to have an interest in the sale process, though Ineos – who have invested heavily across sports, including latterly Manchester United – are unlikely to bid.Glamorgan believe that the Fire’s relatively low valuation – the London-based franchises could be worth four times more – makes them an attractive investment, given the costs across the Hundred are relatively similar with a salary cap in place and that the majority of revenue will come from an even split of central broadcast money.”We just see the great opportunity here to be part of a nation, not only being great value,” Cherry said. “You’d be representing Wales: Cardiff is a fast-growing city with major events happening here all the time at Principality Stadium, the Castle, and Cardiff City Stadium. It’s a great place to invest, and we believe we’ve got something different to all of the other venues.Welsh Fire’s women reached the Hundred final for the first time this year•ECB/Getty Images”We are really proud of the fact that we are the only Welsh first-class county, and that we are hosting England matches here at Sophia Gardens is important to us. Ultimately, that is something which, when we talk to a potential partner or investor, will be something really important to us: maintaining our Welsh interest, heritage and history.”Cherry said that Glamorgan are “very open-minded” and will not rush into a deal. As things stand, they intend to retain their 51% stake in Welsh Fire. “We want to make the right decision for the club and the game: we want to find the right partner, the right investor that’s going to improve what we do and support us along the journey – not take over.”We are keen to build a partnership where people can add value to us as a club… whether it be on the cricket side, around players and coaches and sharing academies, or more on the commercial side. We’re looking for a true partner that can add value – not looking to lose control and sell our soul, as some people would have it.”Glamorgan have had a mixed first year under Grant Bradburn as head coach, with their season resting on Sunday’s Metro Bank One-Day Cup final against Somerset. But Cherry, in his first full season as chief executive, believes the club’s financial position has improved to the point where they can continue to grow the sport in Wales and achieve more of their on-field aims.”It’s pretty well documented that we probably haven’t achieved what we would’ve liked to on the field over the last 15-20 years,” he said. “We haven’t produced players to play for England and we spent all of that time in Division Two. The opportunity to be part of the group of people that can hopefully change that is really exciting.”We’ve had to work through some of the challenges around our finances and the debt profile, but we’re in a much stronger position now financially to be able to now put all of our efforts into trying to improve the cricket side of things. That’s going to be a big focus for me in this role in the coming years.”

تحدث سامي قمصان المدير الفني للمقاولون العرب، عن فوز فريقه على مودرن سبورت في الدوري المصري الممتاز.

وحقق المقاولون العرب فوزه الأول هذا الموسم على حساب مودرن سبورت بهدفين مقابل هدف، في المباراة التي جمعت بينهما في الجولة الثانية عشر من الدوري الممتاز.

طالع.. المقاولون العرب يُعلن تعيين سامي قمصان مديرًا فنيًا للفريق

وقال قمصان في تصريحات عبر قناة “أون سبورت”: “فوز اليوم جاء في توقيت جيد جدًا بالنسبة لنا، هذا أول فوز لنا منذ حوالي 11 مباراة”.

وأضاف: “فريق المقاولون كبير ويمتلك تاريخًا كبيرًا، وهو أكثر فريق بعد الأهلي والزمالك يمتلك بطولات”.

وتابع: “كان من المهم عودة الثقة للاعبين، والمباراة الماضية لم يحالفنا التوفيق، لكن الحمد لله ربنا أكرمنا اليوم”.

وواصل: “كانت لدينا فترات كبيرة طول المباراة كنا فيها الأفضل، وعندنا ثقة كبيرة في اللاعبين، وأضعنا أهدافًا كثيرة، وأعتقد أنها كانت ممكن تحسم المباراة مبكرًا، لكن في النهاية أشكرهم على الجهد”.

واختتم: “لاعبو الفريق كانوا يلعبون تحت ضغط عصبي كبير، من أجل عودة الثقة والانتصارات وعودة الفريق لمكانه الطبيعي”.

Paris Saint-Germain are closing in on Lucas Chevalier as Gianluigi Donnarumma’s future hangs in the balance, with talks at an advanced stage.

• PSG closing in on Lucas Chevalier
• Deal worth €40m, final talks underway
• Donnarumma's contract talks stalled

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to Fabrizio Romano, PSG are on the verge of signing Chevalier from Lille in a deal worth around €40 million (£34m/$46m). Talks are in the final stages, with both club presidents – Nasser Al-Khelaifi and Olivier Letang involved to iron out the add-on structure. The 23-year-old has agreed to a five-year contract and is set to replace Donnarumma, whose own future remains uncertain amid stalled contract talks.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Chevalier’s arrival marks another step in Les Parisiens' commitment to a new transfer model focused on young, high-potential talent. Meanwhile, Donnarumma, despite a strong 2024-25 campaign, has rebuffed their offers to extend his contract. His current deal runs until 2026, but a disagreement over the salary has stalled progress, resulting in interest from the likes of Chelsea, Manchester United, Manchester City and Saudi Arabian clubs.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  The French goalkeeper made his professional debut in 2022 and has rapidly become one of Ligue 1’s most reliable goalkeepers, earning praise for his calmness and passing under pressure. Chevalier impressed with Lille last season, keeping 13 clean sheets in 48 games and showing strong distribution skills that align with Luis Enrique’s style of play.

• AFP
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR PSG?

  PSG are expected to finalise the deal with Lille in the coming days. Once completed, Chevalier will join preseason training and begin preparing to succeed Donnarumma, while the club continue exploring transfer opportunities for the outgoing Italian star.

McAndrew and Scott picked up two wickets each as Tasmania slumped to 96 for 4, after Fraser-McGurk smashed 43 off 37 to help SA declare at 398 for 6 on a rain affected day

AAP07-Dec-2024

Nathan McAndrew celebrates a wicket•Getty Images

South Australia have overcome a frustratingly long rain delay to strike four late daggers on day two of their Sheffield Shield clash with Tasmania at Bellerive Oval.SA opener Henry Hunt was all class on Friday when he made an unbeaten 136 to guide the Redbacks to 329 for 3 by stumps in Hobart.But long periods of rain meant play didn’t resume on Saturday until after 3pm AEDT. South Australia added 69 runs in the space of 12 overs before declaring at 398 for 6.Tasmania went to stumps on day two in all sorts of trouble at 96 for 4, with Nivethan Radhakrishnan (43), Jake Weatherald (12), Jordan Silk (18) and Tim Ward (7) already sent packing.With just two days remaining, South Australia have the chance to enforce the follow-on if they can rattle through Tasmania’s middle and lower order quickly on Sunday.Day one was dominated by South Australia as opener Hunt and Jason Sangha (151) combined for a 300-run partnership.The lengthy rain delay on day two meant South Australia needed to up the ante when play finally resumed in the afternoon.Hunt was caught behind without adding to his overnight score, but Jake Fraser-McGurk (43 off 37) and Jake Lehmann (24 not out off 25 balls) batted like it was a one-dayer to add some handy quick runs before the declaration.Tasmania moved to a solid 45 without loss in reply before Weatherald chopped Liam Scott (2-19) on to his stumps.Radhakrishnan was caught chasing a wide delivery, before speedster Nathan McAndrew (2-28) struck two late blows to leave Tasmania four wickets down. Silk was out edging behind in the final over of the day.

The American prodigy shared some moments from training camp with the Cityzens, marking the occasion by posting a viral TikTok compilation

Sullivan's video includes City and Union highlightsTeenager rejoins Union ahead of crucial run of games in Eastern ConferenceUnion face New York Red Bulls next in the US Open CupGet the MLS Season Pass today!Stream games nowGetty Images SportWHAT HAPPENED

Philadelphia Union's 15-year-old midfielder Cavan Sullivan shared an extensive highlights compilation on his TikTok account after returning from his two-week training stint with Manchester City in England. The nostalgia-tinged video juxtaposes Sullivan's experiences at City's state-of-the-art Etihad Campus facilities with footage from his development at Philadelphia Union's academy.

AdvertisementWATCH THE HIGHLIGHTS

@cavan.sullivan6

Diff scenery #fyp #viral

♬ Balanced – Headie One

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Sullivan's social media tribute to both clubs highlights the unique position of the American teenager who represents both the present and future of two distinct soccer ecosystems. The midfielder signed MLS's largest-ever homegrown contract with the Philadelphia Union in 2024.

Getty Images SportWHAT’S NEXT?

Sullivan rejoins Philadelphia Union for their upcoming MLS fixtures, with the club set to face New York Red Bulls next in the U.S. Open Cup quarterfinal on Aug. 13.

How skewed are the numbers in favour of win-toss-and-bowl this tournament? What about the old adage of “runs on the board in pressure games”?

Sampath Bandarupalli13-Nov-2021The impact of the toss, and bowling firstThe influence of the toss on the match result has been a talking point during the Men’s T20 World Cup 2021. A high number of matches have been won by the teams winning the toss – 29 out of 44 (65.9%). Ten of the 12 games hosted in Dubai, the venue for the final, have been won by the side winning the toss.Between Abu Dhabi and Dubai, 21 of the 27 games have been won by the chasing teams. Under lights, Dubai has heavily favoured the chasing team – they have won all nine games played here in the night.The teams batting first have either lost early wickets or struggled to time their acceleration, and have ended up with below-par totals. To add to it, the dew and the lack of movement later on at night has meant the margin for error when bowling under lights is minimal – bowling sides have not been able to defend even 12 an over at the death. The seamers have taken only eight wickets in nine games when bowling second under lights, and conceded almost 10 runs an over.The only team that consistently went against the win-toss-and-bowl trend in this tournament was Afghanistan – they won the toss in all five of their matches, and elected to bowl only against India in Abu Dhabi under lights. If England is known to swear by the bowl-first mantra – they have chosen to bowl the last 24 times they have won T20I tosses – Afghanistan is their mirror image: they have won 28 T20I tosses since the start of 2016 and chosen to bowl only five times.ESPNcricinfo LtdFinch leading Williamson on the toss countLooking at the toss results of the two finalists, it is clear that Australia have had more luck with the coin so far: they have won five tosses and won all five of those matches. At the same time, they got a thumping from England after being put in to bat.New Zealand have won only two tosses, but they were in their two most important matches so far – against India in Super 12s and against England in the semi-finals. They batted first in day games against Scotland and Namibia, while Afghanistan’s penchant for batting first played into their hands.Toss and title winners – trivia from the pastIf the toss winners end up as champions on Sunday, it will not be for the first time. Five of the previous six editions of the Men’s T20 World Cup were won by the team winning the toss in the final – the only exception was Pakistan in 2009. West Indies won the toss in all six matches in 2016 on the way to their second title. They elected to bowl in all six games and only lost to Afghanistan in a day game.ESPNcricinfo LtdThey also had a good record with the toss in 2012, winning the toss in six of their seven matches. That tournament, hosted by Sri Lanka, offered a big advantage to teams batting first in the business end of the competition. West Indies won the toss in their semi-final and final, and defended their totals quite comfortably.Inaugural champions India won five tosses in the 2007 edition, including in all three Super 8s games and twice in the knockouts. The 2014 winners, Sri Lanka, won all four matches in which they won the toss, including two in knockouts.

da luck： Brendan Rodgers has had to oversee a lot of change on the left side of his Celtic squad, at left-back in particular, during the summer transfer window so far.

da winzada777： The Hoops have already added one new left-back to the team in the form of Kieran Tierney, who has returned to Parkhead on a free transfer from Premier League giants Arsenal, six years on from his initial move to the Gunners from Glasgow.

Tierney, who won five Scottish Premiership titles during his first spell at the club after coming through the academy, will be aiming to nail down a position as the first-choice left-back at Celtic once again.

The Scotland international looks set to replace compatriot Greg Taylor, who is leaving the Scottish giants this summer upon the expiry of his contract.

Fabrizio Romano, as shown in the post above, recently confirmed that the full-back has agreed a deal to sign for Greek side PAOK ahead of next season.

Another left-back who has moved on from Parkhead this summer is Jeffrey Schlupp, who spent the second half of the season on loan from Crystal Palace, and the club must now avoid a permanent deal for him.

Why Celtic should not sign Jeffrey Schlupp

The Eagles confirmed at the end of May that the left-back would not be getting a new contract at Selhurst Park, which means that he will be available on a free transfer.

Schlupp made 14 appearances, starting eight of those games, in the Premiership and the Champions League for the Hoops, and his best performance for the club came in the second leg of their Champions League play-off clash with Bayern Munich.

Vs Bayern (A)

Jeffrey Schlupp

Minutes

90

Clearances

9

Blocks

1

Interceptions

5

Tackles

6

Dribbled past

1x

Ground duels won

7/8

Aerial duels won

1/2

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the Palace loanee was incredibly dominant defensively up against the mercurial Michael Olise on the right wing for Bayern, winning the majority of his duels and making 11 tackles and interceptions, whilst being dribbled past just once.

Despite that impressive showing from the Ghana international, Celtic also have to plan for the future and signing a 32-year-old, who turns 33 in December, on a permanent multi-year contract may not be the best move that they can make this summer.

Therefore, supporters should be happy to read that the Hoops are reportedly closing in on the signing of an alternative target who could be an even better signing than Schlupp.

Celtic schedule medical to complete new signing

According to Sponichi, Celtic are closing in on a deal to sign Albirex Niigata defender Hayato Inamura to bolster their options at the back ahead of next season.

The report claims that the left-footed star’s last match for his club was the 4-0 defeat to Machida on Sunday, as he played 90 minutes as a centre-back in the loss.

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Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

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It adds that the two clubs have already reached an agreement in principle over a transfer for the 23-year-old talent, and that a move will officially go through in the coming week.

Sponichi reveals that the Japanese defender will travel to Scotland at the start of the coming week to undergo a medical with the Hoops before putting pen to paper on a permanent switch to Glasgow.

This means that Celtic are set to sign the versatile Niigata ace in the coming days, with a medical scheduled and a fee agreed, and he could come in as an even better signing than Schlupp.

Why Inamura will be a better signing than Schlupp for Celtic

As aforementioned, the former Palace loanee turns 33 later this year and would only come in as a stop-gap signing to provide cover in the short term, which is also what he did during his loan spell.

Schlupp would not be a signing with a view to the future because, at his age, he is unlikely to develop much further, if at all, and does not have the potential to grow into being the first-choice after Tierney’s second spell comes to an end.

Inamura, however, is nine years younger than the Ghana international and, therefore, has far more time on his hands to develop and improve as a player during his time in Glasgow.

He is five years younger than Tierney and could, therefore, eventually be his successor if he kicks on and improves at Celtic, whilst initially coming in as a back-up option.

Inamura is usually deployed as a centre-back by Niigata, but Sky Sports reporter Anthony Joseph noted that he can also play as a left-back. His statistics in the J1 League this season also suggest that he would be well-suited to playing that role for the Hoops.

2025 J1 League

Hayato Inamura

Percentile rank vs CBs

Assists

0.07

Top 8%

Pass accuracy

87%

Top 29%

Accurate long passes

5.75

Top 5%

Long pass accuracy

47%

Top 19%

Chances created

0.42

Top 18%

Cross accuracy

50%

Top 15%

Stats via FotMob

As you can see in the table above, the soon-to-be Celtic signing ranks incredibly highly among his positional peers in a host of possession-based metrics, which speaks to his ability on the ball.

His ability to successfully complete crosses at an impressive rate and to consistently create chances for his teammates from a centre-back position suggests that he could be well-suited to playing as a left-back for the Hoops, which would allow him to showcase his in-possession qualities.

Inamura, who analyst Rio Nakagawara claimed has “fantastic ball progression” as a passer and carrier, appears to have the technical qualities to thrive in Glasgow.

His positional flexibility also makes him an attractive target, as he can play at centre-back or left-back, and that is another reason why he would be an even better signing than Schlupp, who was not a central defensive option for Rodgers.

Related Dream signing for Nygren: Celtic targeting move for "promising" £2m star

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Overall, signing Inamura seems to make more sense for the Premiership champions because of his age profile, his positional flexibility, and his quality on the ball.

Sunderland haven’t always found life in the Premier League to be the smoothest experience.

Indeed, the Black Cats have finished rock bottom of the top-flight pile a miserable total of three times, with Regis Le Bris now desperately hoping he won’t be another dire face added to the list of managers who have sunk the Wearside outfit.

Sunderland’s chances of immediately staying afloat have been negatively impacted by Jobe Bellingham’s expected departure to Borussia Dortmund officially going through, but new signings galore will certainly soften that blow.

The top-flight underdogs won’t just be hunting down midfielders to replace their teenage sensation, however, with one new potential defensive addition already being lined up that could see the Stadium of Light outfit land their next version of Patrick Van Aanholt.

Van Aanholt's memorable Sunderland stint

Now back in his native Netherlands to see out his career, the attack-minded left-back was previously a fan’s favourite on Wearside when the Black Cats were in the Premier League during the 2010s.

In total, Van Aanholt would go on to amass a hefty nine goals and ten assists for the regular Wearside strugglers from 95 appearances, before banking Sunderland a sturdy £14m in 2017 when moving onto Crystal Palace.

Le Bris will hope as his team embarks on their new Premier League adventure that they can be as daring as the Dutchman once was coming out from defence, with right-back Trai Hume already proving last season his gung-ho qualities when chipping in with three goals and six assists in league action.

To complement Hume’s forward-thinking approach on the right channel, the Black Cats could be about to welcome a modern iteration of Van Aanholt into the building, with this goal-and-assist-heavy Spaniard now tipped to join the newly promoted team’s ranks.

Sunderland targeting new Van Aanholt

Le Bris’ men are slightly light in the left-back department, with the Premier League new boys only having Dennis Cirkin and Leo Hjelde to call upon there.

To boost their numbers down the left-hand side, Sunderland could soon snap up the services of wantaway Aston Villa defender Alex Moreno, with reports from Spain filtering through that the Black Cats are keen on adding the left-back to their roster for only £5m. They aren’t alone in their interest, unfortunately, with fellow newly promoted side Burnley also eyeing him up.

Before being chucked out on loan to Nottingham Forest for more minutes, Moreno did operate as a useful bright spark for Unai Emery’s men, as seen in this delightful effort cannoning in when Villa plied their trade in the Conference League back in 2023.

That is just one of three goals the “sensational” ace – as he was once labelled glowingly by football journalist Charlie Haffenden – has managed to pick up for Villa, with his vast career beyond England also further affirming his eye for a goal and assist.

His defensive class has been evident too, after picking up a respectable seven clean sheets across his Premier League playing days to date.

Moreno’s G/A numbers by club
Club played for	Games played	Goals scored	Assists
Rayo Vallecano	127	9	9
Real Betis	122	6	14
Villa	48	3	3
Elche CF	41	2	4
RCD Mallorca	32	2	1
UE Llagostera	31	2	0
Nottingham Forest	19	0	1
Sourced by Transfermarkt

In total, Moreno has collected a healthy 56 goal contributions across his varied career, meaning he could soon go on to be Sunderland’s second coming of Van Aanholt down the left, such is his front-foot approach. Like the Dutchman – whom the Black Cats signed from Chelsea – Moreno would also be arriving from a Premier League rival, should he move to Wearside.

It will be a tough ask for Sunderland to come out on top in the race for the experienced full-back’s services – with Leeds United also hunting down the 32-year-old’s in-demand signature – but it would be a real statement buy if they were successful.

After all, Van Aanholt was last regularly rampaging down the left at the Stadium of Light, Sunderland were a Premier League regular, with Moreno perhaps the sort of buy the Black Cats need to make to become a top-flight staple again.

Sky Sports: Sunderland now in direct contact to sign £17m Ligue 1 forward

The Black Cats are looking to continue their summer business.

By
Tom Cunningham

Jun 10, 2025