Aston Villa's next two deals decided for Monchi as question marks hang over duo
Aston Villa’s president of football operations Monchi has worked hard to secure the long-term futures of some of the club’s most important assets, including Morgan Rogers and Jhon Duran in recent months.
Rogers is the latest player to have penned fresh terms, while Duran was rewarded for his electric start to the campaign with a new contract back in October. Since last summer, John McGinn, Emi Martinez, Leon Bailey, Ollie Watkins and Ezri Konsa all signed extensions.
Diego Carlos is one of several players whose deal expires in the summer of 2026, as is the case for Emi Buendia, Lucas Digne and Tyrone Mings. It means that they’ll enter the final 12 months of their respective contracts at the end of the season.
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Digne has been one of the most consistent players in the Villa team over the last 18 months, but is one of the club’s highest earners, while Ian Maatsen also signed for £37.5m in June. Buendia has been used sparingly this season and has work to do to earn a new deal, but in Mings’ case, a new contract could be a wise decision considering his role in the dressing room, his leadership skills on the pitch and the balance he brings to the squad.
Pau Torres is a ball-playing centre-back and excels in progressing possession, whereas Mings’ strengths are his defending and physicality. He is also more than effective on the ball, but Torres is just that level higher in that department.
Also a leader and one of the club’s captains, Mings has impressed on his return from the ACL injury he suffered on the opening weekend of last season. He was the man of the match in his first Premier League appearance in the win over Brentford earlier this month, but withdrew from the starting XI to face Nottingham Forest due to illness.
Mings has started the last three four games and played the majority of the match against Brighton too. It's no surprise to see Villa tighten up at the back with Mings playing a key role in Villa's five-match unbeaten run.
If Mings continues to prove himself after such a horrible injury, then to remove doubts about his future next season, a new contract could be facilitated. There will, of course, be a decision to make on Digne, while Buendia is allowed to leave the club for more game time in this winter window. Carlos is close to leaving the club with Fenerbahce said to be progressing in talks.
This time next year, it’ll be the players whose deals expire in 2027 who come into focus. They are Youri Tielemans, John McGinn, Leon Bailey, Jacob Ramsey, Matty Cash and Boubacar Kamara. The latter of that crop has proven just why he is one of the most important players in Emery’s squad.
Kamara is a profile of a player which any manager and all clubs would welcome with open arms. Signed on a free transfer in the summer of 2022, he is surely next in line to receive a reward for his return from an ACL injury, which represents his status in the team. A new contract would also protect his value, which could decrease after next summer as he would start next season with less than two years remaining on his current deal.
