Aston Villa are set to lose their defender Alan Hutton as the club can’t afford to offer him a new and improved contract. According to recent reports in the English media, the former Rangers defender will part ways with the West Midlands club in the summer after he was not offered a new deal due to Villa’s financial problems. The Scottish full-back has featured regularly under Steve Bruce this season and has put in some strong performances for Villa in the right-back position. Hutton signed for the Villans in the summer of 2011 from Tottenham Hotspur but is out of contract at the end of the current campaign.
Villa boss Steve Bruce has revealed that it won’t be possible for the club to extend his stay at Villa Park as the club needs stay within the confinements of the Financial Fair Play rules unless they earn a promotion back to the Premier League this term. In a recent interview, Bruce was quoted to have said,
“I had to be honest with Alan and told him at this stage we’re not in a position to offer anybody a new contract.
“The way the situation with the club is in finances and Financial Fair Play and I think we all need to know where we are, whether we’re in the Championship or we’re in the Premier League – if we’re in the Championship we’ll have to cut, it’s as straightforward as that.”
The Scottish defender has featured in 23 matches for the Villans this season but is yet to find the back of the net so far. However, he has got two assists to his name this term. With Hutton’s future uncertain at Villa Park, let’s take a look at three potential replacements for the Villans to consider.
Phil Bardsley
The Scottish defender has a wealth of experience in English football and has put in some fine displays for Burnley this season. At 32, he still has a few good years left in him which Aston Villa could look to utilise in the coming years if they decided to opt for his services.
Steven Whittaker
The Hibernian right-back has lit up the Scottish Premiership with his performances this season. The Scottish international has featured in 20 matches for Hibs, scoring once and providing five assists in all competitions. He has a wonderful knack for creating and scoring goals from right-back which could be an ideal asset for Steve Bruce’s men going into the future.
Ahmed Fathi
The 33-year-old El Ahly Cairo defender has a wealth of experience in Egyptian football and has won a plethora of trophies back in his country. Villa could look to offer a route to English football where he might find some success, similar to how Ahmed Hegazi has embraced football at the Hawthorns. The potential arrival of another Egyptian at the West Midlands can turn out to be a shrewd piece of business for the Villans if they can pull it off.
