'Not the end of the world' as Aston Villa face transfer uncertainty

The transfer window has barely been open five days and already it is being reported Aston Villa are suffering the scares of discussions breaking down at the most crucial of times.

Usually it is towards deadline day that panic begins to set in, though this summer June 30 and the end of the current football accounting period seems to be heightening the sense of urgency among some Premier League clubs.

With that said, Birmingham Live brings you the latest from Villa Park on this busy week of transfer news and gossip...

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Pathway cleared for McKennie, failure to take it is his loss

Weston McKennie has emerged as the only remaining problem to solve as part of Villa's ongoing discussions with Juventus over a complicated transfer.

Douglas Luiz would be expected to leave England having already accepted terms of a £5m-per-year contract. In return Villa would receive £20m in one lump sum, along with attacker Samuel Iling-Junior and US international McKennie.

However, the 25-year-old is yet to finalise terms of his exit from Turin, acting as the final blockade in making sure all parties come out of talks happy. On Wednesday it has been reported the longer this goes on, the further open the door creaks to allow rivals to hijack a move.

Tottenham Hotspur were said to be prepared to do this, though The Telegraph have since stamped out such suggestions. The path is therefore clear for McKennie to join Villa, so now it rests on the Italian side to get their cards in order.

BirminghamLive say: This is a complicated deal and doesn't need the added pressure of a looming deadline - or maybe it does. If reports are correct then Villa must wait for McKennie to untangle himself from Juve.

Losing Luiz still provides an uneasy feeling, though good recruitment can at least hopefully offset that. Perhaps Monchi and Co could take back control of negotiations by axing McKennie - who I'm not entirely sold on - from the deal should he waste too much time and jeopardise the futures of two other players in the process. Villa could just ask for the midfielder's value instead.

Leaving him where he is would mean looking at other more desirable targets, such as Conor Gallagher. Not the end of the world by any means for Emery as he looks to strengthen, and certainly McKennie's loss if he doesn't join the Spaniard's project.

Chelsea's insecurity opens up Jhon Duran question

With Chelsea taking their time over the signing of Jhon Duran, Villa could have time to reflect on the situation.

Negotiations advanced quickly on what looked to be a deal that would see the club pocket £40m, though now it has been suggested Stamford Bridge would seek to alter the terms to include a player swap alongside a lesser fee. That is if Enzo Maresca and Co opt not to advance further with other targets they have opened discussions for as well.

Reflecting with Best Online Poker Sites during the time that has passed, former Villa defender Alan Hutton stated: "I think Ollie Watkins needs some help. I like Jhon Duran and I know there have been whispers of a move to Chelsea so I’d like to see him stay at Villa and do well at the club next season.

"If he does leave, Emery and his recruitment team need to bring somebody in to help further up the pitch and lighten the burden on Watkins."

BirminghamLive say: Another series of factors out of Villa's control - it would be highly unfortunate if both deals collapsed in all honesty.

On the one hand they possess a hyper-talented player, one that can only grow in importance over time. His impact from the bench against teams like Liverpool goes some way to suggesting that. Hutton also makes a fair point - Watkins cannot play every single minute of every single match, not with the increased load of Champions League football to consider, and Duran has proven himself ample cover in this case.

But on the other, this could be £40m we're talking about. £40m for a player that featured in Emery's starting XI 10 times last season and hasn't actually fully proven himself at English top-flight level. As long as the fee remains at this level - no compromising with player swaps involved as truly there are no Chelsea players worth swapping as part of this exchange when PSR is considered - then allowing Duran to move on at such a high price is simply irrefusable.

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