MONCHI NEEDS TO GET A BANG FOR VILLA BUCK

ANOTHER important summer window is well underway for Aston Villa, whose preseason programme begins next week.

- JOHN TOWNLEY

Villa's first preseason game is a trip to Walsall, before Unai Emery’s side head to Germany a few days later, followed by a third consecutive tour of the USA.

The new Premier League campaign kicks off at home against Newcastle on Saturday, August 16, and by then Emery will hope to have most of his transfer business completed.

Ideally, new players will arrive before Villa fly out to the States, but this summer there’s a sharp focus on moving players out.

Complying with the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) is one challenge; meeting UEFA's Squad Cost Ratio (SCR) regulations is another. Monchi, Villa's president of football operations, faces the task of reducing the club’s wage bill by 10% this summer and again next summer.

With that in mind, the likes of Emi Martinez and Lucas Digne could depart in the coming weeks, as both are among the squad's highest earners.

Martinez turns 33 later this year and Digne turns 32 this month. With the latter entering the final year of his contract, this window likely represents the last opportunity to secure a transfer fee for the Frenchman.

Martinez, meanwhile, is open to starting a new chapter in his career and could join Atletico Madrid - if they sell Jan Oblak. A move to Manchester United appears unlikely, as Andre Onana is expected to remain at Old Trafford.

Should Martinez leave, Lille goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier would be a strong candidate to replace him.