Aston Villa: £78k-a-week star's exit could see new signing at Villa Park

Aston Villa may dip into the transfer market once again if they are able to sell Bertrand Traore this summer after the winger was sent to the reserves, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.

Steven Gerrard has overseen a busy window at Villa Park but some high-profile departures could soon be on the cards ahead of the September 1 deadline.

Seven players have left the club this summer already including Matt Targett, Carney Chukwuemeka, Trezeguet and Conor Hourihane.

But more names could soon join that list. Tyrone Mings has been stripped of the club captaincy and it has been suggested that he too could depart before the deadline.

Football Insider reported this week that Gerrard has also started to question the credentials of striker Ollie Watkins and could look to replace the England international.

Perhaps the name most likely to depart, however, is Traore. The 26-year-old was recently banished to the reserves by his manager and it now appears to be a matter of time until he is sold.

There were reports earlier this summer that Lyon had made contact with the Burkina Faso international over a possible return to Ligue 1.

However, there has been very little reported of the possible move in the weeks since.

O’Rourke suggests that selling the £78,000-per-week player would likely allow Gerrard to dip into the transfer market again ahead of the deadline.

The journalist told GIVEMESPORT: “It would save some money for Villa, the player being a high earner at the club. It would maybe enable Gerrard to dip into the transfer market, if he is able to offload him, to bring in a replacement.”

Traore arrived at Villa Park in the summer of 2020 and enjoyed a successful debut campaign under Dean Smith, scoring seven goals and providing