Aston Villa are reportedly on the verge of securing late transfers for Chelsea players Joao Felix and Axel Disasi, following the lucrative sale of striker Jhon Duran to Saudi Pro League club Al-Nassr. This insight was provided by financial analyst Stefan Borson in an exclusive interview with Football Insider. Borson highlighted that for Villa to acquire one of the Chelsea players on loan, they must first secure a permanent signing, as Premier League regulations prohibit clubs from having more than one player on loan from another top-tier team.
Duran, who joined Villa from Chicago Fire for £18 million in January 2023, has recently completed a transfer valued at over £64 million to Al-Nassr. This significant influx of funds has positioned Unai Emery’s squad to engage in advanced discussions for loan agreements involving Marcus Rashford from Manchester United and Marco Asensio from PSG, alongside ongoing negotiations for Felix.
Football Insider previously reported on 26 January that Villa are contemplating a loan approach for Disasi, a teammate of Felix at Chelsea, as part of their strategy to bolster the defensive line. Borson noted that the sale of Duran would considerably enhance the club's profit and sustainability ratio (PSR), suggesting that Villa may be approaching their financial limits once again.
Borson remarked, "I suspect the Duran deal will fix the PSR problem and also allow them some capacity to potentially do a deal, so I think that's one to watch. There is certainly talk that they might go and try and buy Felix from Chelsea. Ideally, they would loan both Felix and Disasi from Chelsea, but the interesting thing there is that you can't have two loans from the same club."
Expressing scepticism regarding Villa’s intentions to permanently acquire Disasi, Borson suggested that pursuing Felix would require a substantial financial commitment. He explained, "I doubt they want to buy Disasi, which means if they want Felix, they are going to have to pay for him permanently."
He further elaborated on the financial implications of signing players during the January transfer window compared to the summer, particularly concerning amortisation costs. "You divide it by five years in terms of the headline price, then times it by five twelfths of that for the amortisation cost, and then add on five twelfths of an annual wage. That means even these very big deals are quite manageable in the second half of the season, even if you are tight with PSR."
In conclusion, Borson conveyed optimism that Villa could negotiate successfully following Duran's departure, while also indicating that the timing of the sale reflects pressing financial considerations. "I just can't see that, logically, you would sell Duran now if you didn't need to."
In related developments, Aston Villa are reportedly pursuing two defensive signings in light of updates concerning Tyrone Mings. As the transfer window approaches its close, Villa's strategies appear to be in full swing as they navigate their financial landscape and squad requirements, with the potential addition of Chelsea's talents promising to enhance their ambitions for the season ahead.