The Doctor Has Some Exit Surgery To Do At Villa?

Tierney posted in the transfer forum :

Part of that (The Doctor talking in %`s for the transfer window, see: Rachel Riley Called In To Help Aston Villa Fans! ) has to be referring to exits surely?

The squad is getting rather inflated again…

Goalkeepers

1. P Gollini (out on loan for 18 months)
13. J Steer (injured, Achilles)
31. M Bunn (out of contract in summer)
33. M Sarkic (youngster)
34. S Johnstone (on loan until summer)

Defenders

2. N Baker
4. M Richards
6. T Elphick
12. J Chester
21. A Hutton (out of contract in summer)
23. J Amavi
27. R de Laet (long-term injury)
28. A Cissokho (out on loan for 6 months)
? J Bree

Midfielders

5. H Lansbury
7. L Bacuna
8. A Tshibola
15. A Westwood
17. J Veretout (out on loan until summer)
19. A Green (youngster)
22. G Gardner
24. C Sanchez (out on loan until summer)
25. M Jedinak
37. A Adomah
38. J Lyden (youngster)
40. J Grealish
? B Bjarnason
? C Gil (out on loan until summer)
? C Hourihane

Strikers

10. J Ayew
11. G Agbonlahor
18. L Kozak (out of contract in summer)
26. J Kodjia
29. R Hepburn-Murphy (youngster)
39. K Davis (youngster)
44. R McCormack

I make that a squad of 36! Far too big (just with wages) so I wouldn’t be shocked to see some exits, I would even say they’re needed. This is without including the other youngsters who have made matchday squads in previous years too (Sellars, Suliman, Toner, etc).

Some points that I think haven’t been mentioned:

Steer – Long term injury, Achilles.

Richards – with Bree coming in, we now have four right-backs at the club because I refuse to consider Richards as a centre-back after his attempts last year. Hutton will go in the summer, Richards’ future I suspect depends on how well Bree settles and how soon de Laet recovers.

Gardner – Bruce gave him a new contract until 2020 so I don’t see him being shipped off anywhere. First-team regular he may not be, but a potential squad filler he might have to accept for now. Clearly the Cardiff debacle has landed him on the naughty step currently.

Lyden – another that seems to have gone completely AWOL and surprised not given a chance in the central midfield considering how weak it has been. A loan move probably needed with some competitive minutes.

Kozak – feel so sorry for the guy as he personally has done nothing wrong. But he must know his time is up when the likes of Gabby are given yet another chance ahead of him and both RHM and Davis get places on the bench before him. I always thought he could offer something and with Gestede gone is now our only ‘aerial’ striker, but if not shipped off in the summer, he’ll be released in the summer no doubt about it.