Player contracts remaining

Very nice piece of reporting from Mat Kendrick today:

There is uncertainty surrounding the future of the club, the owner and the manager – but what about the future of Villa’s players? Here we look at the contract situations of the entire claret and blue first-team squad.
 
Out of contract this summer (June 30): Marc Albrighton, Gary Gardner, Nathan Delfouneso, Janoi Donacien, Callum Robinson.
Albrighton is the highest profile of Villa’s soon-to-be ‘free agents’, with no new deal for the winger, as of yet. Gardner, battling a foot problem, is contemplating a new contract offer.
There are new two-year deals on the table for rookies, striker Robinson and defender Donacien, while Delfouneso will be released when his contract expires on June 30.
 
Loans up now: Ryan Bertrand, Grant Holt
Bertrand’s four-month loan is over. The Chelsea left-back has expressed a desire to play for a higher club than Villa next season.
Holt, who arrived for a temporary spell in January, has returned to Wigan. The veteran targetman was open to the idea of coming back for another spell next campaign but that looks like a non-starter.




One year left (until 2015): Gabby Agbonlahor, Fabian Delph, Ron Vlaar, Karim El Ahmadi, Jordan Bowery, Darren Bent, Alan Hutton, Enda Stevens, Chris Herd, Samir Carruthers, Graham Burke, Daniel Johnson, Jack Grealish.           
The futures of captain Vlaar, player-of-the-season Delph and current longest servant Agbonlahor are among the most pressing player issues for Villa to resolve with just 12 months left on their existing deals.
Bomb Squad members Bent, Hutton and Stevens are also entering their final years. Villa must decide whether to offer El Ahmadi and Bowery fresh terms and resolve Herd’s situation with the utility player unavailable for personal reasons.
Of the four ‘kids’ with just a year left, Grealish is arguably the one the claret and blues must tie down first.
 
Two years left (until 2016): Shay Given, Charles N’Zogbia, Nathan Baker, Joe Bennett, Ciaran Clark, Antonio Luna, Leandro Bacuna, Nicklas Helenius, Andi Weimann, Matt Lowton, Yacouba Sylla.
Two of them, Given and N’Zogbia, have been surplus to requirements because of their high wages. It will be interesting to see if Villa can shift them. Helenius, Sylla and Luna have hardly featured lately and want more football at Villa or elsewhere.
Defenders Baker, Clark and Lowton signed new deals last summer but have endured difficult seasons, likewise striker Weimann. Bennett and Bacuna also have two years left after contrasting fortunes last term.
 
Three years left (until 2017): Brad Guzan, Jores Okore, Aleksandar Tonev, Ashley Westwood, Christian Benteke, Libor Kozak.
Tonev still has much to prove, but Villa are pleased to have star striker Benteke, first-team regulars Guzan and Westwood and hopefuls Okore and Kozak contracted until 2017.

How is it that longer contracts haven't been sorted for Delph, Vlaar, El Ahmadi (he gets slagged on here but he's one of, if not THE top tackler in the league and if played in te right formation will be good) as well as the promising youngsters like Grealish, Donacien, Robinson and Carruthers? (I've heard Albrighton has signed a new 3 year deal but it's not yet been announced - dunno why).

Everyone in the Year 2 bracket can move on.

Gary Gardner also seems to have the word "battling" after his name so that's what I'll call him from now on - Gary Gardner-Battling.

Gabby....love him but I'd only offer him a rolling one-year contract and use him as an impact sub. Will he be happy with that? I'm pretty sure he would. He's certainly a club legend but his time is almost over.

The long term guys look ok.

Everyone else can call 0121-Do-One.

Two years left on Given's contract? :shock:

Nigel Lowe wrote:Two years left on Given's contract? :shock:

It's one of those things I cringe at every time I think about it. He seems like a top bloke and is a wonderful shot-stopper, but overall he is just not good enough in terms of commanding his box and so on. I would have taken Guzan over him at the time and obviously was justified in that theory. A heck of a lot of money wasted on that deal.

The 12 month list seems to be split, IMO, between, "Good grief, get that man a new contract" and, "Another year still to go? FFS"

Of those I'd make new offers to all of the guys whose deals are out this summer. I'd also think about offering new deals right now to Vlaar, Delph, (possibly) El Ahmadi and Grealish.

Giving a 35 year old (when we signed him), injury prone keeper a fat 5 year deal still baffles me. As much as I think Shay is a decent guy and top pro. I just hope he can get a move soon.

Contracts will be prioritised on the basis of the wage structure, amortisation, age and ability.

 

Finn07 wrote:Contracts will be prioritised on the basis of the wage structure, amortisation, age and ability.

Very likely in that order as well, with ability being the last of the selection criteria.

As much as Gabby is (partially) cult hero, I'd look to flock him. He's limited and on high salary, we could replace him with better player for same or lesser salary.

Aye, I can kind of see the argument. Especially as we are very well stocked up front.

I wouldn't do argue for it myself but can see why people would.