Duran sold, centre-back signs and building depth – Aston Villa's three biggest transfer jobs this summer

Aston Villa have been one of the busiest Premier League teams at the start of the summer transfer window as Monchi and Damian Vidagany keep the club compliant with Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSRs) and try to improve Unai Emery's squad.

It is understood that the sale of Douglas Luiz to Juventus for €50m will allow Villa to be in the clear regarding PSR. Juve duo Samuel Iling-Junior and Enzo Barrenechea are both going the other way, joining Villa in a separate deal worth €22m.

Meanwhile, Villa have signed Ian Maatsen from Chelsea for £37.5m as Omari Kellyman joins the Blues for £19m. Ross Barkley is also expected to join Villa, who have already signed Lewis Dobbin for £9m after Tim Iroegbunam signed for the winger's former club Everton for up to £13m.

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The 30th June represents an important date in the calendar from Premier League sides as this is the deadline for submitting the accounts. After the first 'deadline' of the summer window, here are three tasks the club's football department face before the window slams shut in two months' time on August 30, at 11pm...

Sell Duran

Jhon Duran wants to join Chelsea this summer and has flirted with a move away from Villa for months and didn't hide his feelings about the situation by liking posts on X last season..

Chelsea had broadly agreed a deal with Villa to sign Duran earlier this month, but there has been no progress since. Villa granted Chelsea permission to speak with Duran, while they also carried out background checks on the 20-year-old.

Duran has all the attributes to one day become a top centre-forward, but while he doesn't appear to be committed to improving under Emery at Villa, it would suit all parties if he could find a move away. Villa would be in line to receive a sizeable fee if he were to move on in the coming weeks.

Villa would be left with a task to replace Duran, with Ollie Watkins bound to start every game next season if available to do so. Perhaps Villa could get creative and recruit a more versatile forward who could also compliment Watkins in the XI rather than simply being a back-up.

Raise the floor

Villa had terrible luck with injuries last season and were running on empty come the end of the campaign. They fell to a 6-2 aggregate defeat to Olympiacos in the Europa Conference League semi-finals at a time when they were struggling for form in the league.

Emery's side were fully focused on securing a top four finish ahead of Tottenham in the final weeks of the season and couldn't juggle their European commitments in the end. It's crucial that Emery has quality options to call on from off the bench next season, rather than players who are either inexperienced or unable to carry out what he wants.

In the defeat to Brighton back in May, once Morgan Rogers picked up an injury, it moved Leon Bailey - who was already playing through pain in the final matches - to the left as Matty Cash came on to play off the right wing, disrupting how Villa had attacked throughout the season.

With that said, it is still key to strengthen and raise the quality of the floor and the depth of the group will better their capacity to compete not just for another top six or top four finish but across multiple other competitions too. Barkley, Maatsen, Iling-Junior and Barrenechea add more strength in depth while replacing a few fringe players. It is unclear whether Dobbin will be used in the first-team or if he will be loaned out considering the options Emery has in wide areas.

Defensive improvements

Villa have already looked to improve their defence with the addition of Maatsen, but his arrival won't all of a sudden reduce the amount of goals Emery's team conceded last season (61). Although Villa conceded a similar amount to the four teams who finished beneath them, Tottenham, Chelsea, Newcastle and Man Utd, Liverpool - who finished in third - shipped 20 less.

If Villa are to continue striving for improvement, then they need to be harder to score against. They have the best goalkeeper in the world, arguably the most progressive centre-back in Europe in Pau Torres on the left side alongside Maatsen, but there are question marks over Diego Carlos' future and where Ezri Konsa will operate next season.

Konsa is one of the most underrated defenders in the division and played from right-back last term, tucking in to form a back-three while Villa were in possession. If that happens again next term, then Villa need to be able to rely on the right-sided centre-half who will play alongside Torres.

They will listen to offers for Carlos, who signed under Steven Gerrard and is now 31 years old, on one of the bigger contracts at the club. Villa have been linked with an interest in Jean-Claire Todibo of Nice. It's an area of the squad which is vitally important while Torres is not a particularly dominant defender, he needs a partner to compliment him.

Tyrone Mings suffered an ACL injury last season and is working his way back to fitness.

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