According to a report in the Express & Star, Villa will decide about what to do with their soon-to-be out-of-contract players next month when the January transfer window is no longer open.
Mile Jedinak (34), Alan Hutton (34), Glenn Whelan (35), Tommy Elphick (31), Ritchie De Laet (30), and Micah Richards (30) will all see their contacts expire in the summer.
Apart from Richards (who will definitely be leaving the club), all of the others will have to wait until February to find out if they have a future at Villa Park.
Dean Smith has been quoted as saying that:
January is our month to do deals, to strengthen the squad. There will be players out of contract at the end of the season and once the window is over, our sporting director (Jesus Garcia Pitarch) will look at whether we are extending them or not. It’s a conversation for after the window closes.
Given that Smith has made it no secret that he is trying to reduce the average age of his squad as well as the wage bill, it is highly unlikely that Hutton, Whelan, Jedinak, and De Laet will be given new deals.
Elphick might be lucky enough to get a short-term contract if Villa are cautious about being left short in the centre-back department.
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