Aston Villa, who are in a financial crisis currently, can lose some of their prized assets in the summer. One of them is James Chester who has been a mainstay in their defence at the back and is currently being linked with a move to high flying Burnley who are preparing themselves for the challenges of the Europa League.
The Clarets under Sean Dyche were a handful in the Premier League last season as they went on to secure a seventh-place finish. One can say they will be in seventh heaven with a season like that. However, Sean Dyche is not the one who rests on his laurels and will now be aware that the expectations from them will be higher in the upcoming season.
They will need to have depth in their squad as they will be burdened with Europa League games midweek and for that, they are in the market to sign experienced Welsh centre-back James Chester. Villa will certainly not want to lose him after the departure of John Terry but they won’t have much say as the financial fair play rules tighten the noose on them. They will have to be prepared for certain departures and suddenly a high flying season in the Championship looks far way off from them.
The 29-year-old has been at Villa Park since 2016 and shared a formidable partnership with John Terry last season. They had the third best defensive record in the League and Villa faithful will be dreading to see both their first-choice centre-backs leave in the same transfer window. The Welsh international made 50 appearances last season for the Clarets and Blue.
Chester has an experience of playing in the Premier League as he was with West Bromwich Albion for one season before joining Aston Villa. Chester’s versatility will be a huge asset for Dyche as he can play anywhere across the back four. He started his career with Premier League heavyweights Manchester United but he failed to break into the first team and had loan spells with various clubs. He managed just one appearance for the Red Devils which came in the League Cup.
Read More: Burnley Make An Official Approach For 28 Y/O West Brom Forward: Good Move By Dyche?
James Tarkowski and Ben Mee went on to have a solid centre-back pairing at Turf Moor and it is likely that Chester will come in as a backup option. However, with extra games to play, he shouldn’t struggle much to get game time as Sean Dyche will have to rotate his squad to keep them fresh for every challenge. Chester is a commanding defender and a leader at the back and will be a top signing for Sean Dyche.
