Aston Villa are set to undergo another summer of change with Unai Emery and Monchi preparing to strengthen their squad once again – but that will also mean exits

Aston Villa are striving for Champions League success and simultaneously aiming to secure their place in the prestigious tournament next term, with Unai Emery poised to bolster his squad even further.

The ex-Arsenal head and transfer maestro Monchi have adeptly navigated the market to enhance Villa’s line-up, with every indication that this summer’s efforts will follow suit.

However, as Villa aims to expand its roster, some departures are inevitable, with a few players possibly having already donned the claret and blue for the final time before venturing to greener pastures. We cast an eye over those who might no longer turn out for Villa.

Kortney Hause

Defender Hause hasn’t featured for over three years due to a debilitating knee injury. It’s been 1100 days since he last stepped onto the pitch for Villa, making only three appearances on loan at Watford during this time, and he wasn’t listed in Villa’s Premier League squad.

With his contract winding down this summer, it seems likely he will move on; the 29 year old produced a glimmer of hope about his troublesome fitness when he broke his silence recently.

Following a social media post showing Hause on a massage bed, he commented: “Looking good. Feeling better. Gotta fight the good fight.”.

Emi Buendia

Meanwhile, Buendia was a staple in Villa’s first XI in his initial two seasons, until an anterior cruciate ligament injury derailed his subsequent participation.

The Argentine is currently on loan at Bayer Leverkusen under Xabi Alonso for the rest of the season and has already had a heated on-field clash with Victor Boniface. However, this incident was downplayed and there’s a £17million purchase option that the German club could exercise this summer.

Emery has already demonstrated his preference for players like Morgan Rogers, Marco Asensio and Youri Tielemans in the attacking midfield position that Buendia fills.

Robin Olsen

Goalkeeper Olsen made his first league start of the season in the 1-0 win against Brentford earlier this month, but with Emi Martinez firmly established as the number one choice, the Swede might be looking elsewhere for more playing time.

His contract expires at the end of the season and there’s been reported interest from Copenhagen.

Phillipe Coutinho

Surprisingly, Coutinho is officially still a Villa player. The former £142m Barcelona man hasn’t played for the club since August 2023 and is spending the season on loan at Brazilian side Vasco da Gama.

Coutinho still has a year left on the contract he signed in 2022 but it’s unlikely he’ll return to the first team.

Leander Dendoncker

Dendoncker joined Villa Park in 2022 from local rivals Wolves, where he had built up an impressive reputation in the Premier League. However, he’s only played 28 times in the top flight since then and spent the last year on loan at Napoli and now Anderlecht.

Similar to Coutinho, he has another year left on his contract but is clearly not in the club’s plans. Anderlecht does have the option to purchase him outright at the end of the season if they choose to do so.