Kesler-Hayden deal is a boost for club's finances

Money talks as club looks to the future

- By JOHN TOWNLEY

KAINE Kesler-Hayden has left Aston Villa for Coventry City in a deal worth in the region of £5 million.

He leaves Villa having made five senior appearances for the club, after progressing through the academy ranks.

Kesler-Hayden was part of the team that won the FA Youth Cup in 2021, alongside Carney Chukwuemeka, Lamare Bogarde, and Louie Barry.

The 22-year-old’s sale counts as pure profit, providing a small boost to Villa's finances in this new financial year.

“Words can’t describe how happy I am to be at this club and how excited I am to play in front of the support-ers,’ Kesler-Hayden said of his move.

“T want to show you what I can do, how I can play, entertain you and hopefully get this club back where it needs to be.

“I’ve spoken with the gaffer. He was a big part of why I signed. I believe in the project, and he showed me some videos and analysis of how I can fit into the team and for me that made it seem like the perfect place for me to come.”

Kesler-Hayden spent time on five different loan spells over the past four years - playing in League Two with Swindon Town, League One with MK Dons, and three separate stints in the Championship.

After impressing with the Dons, the right-back joined Huddersfield Town on loan at the start of the 2022/23 season.

However, limited game time prompted Villa to recall him in January, before sending him back out to the Championship with Plymouth Argyle for the following campaign.

Unai Emery included Kesler-Hayden in his senior squad for the second half of the 2023/24 season, and he made his Premier League debut in March 2023 against Wolves.