Aston Villa have announced the departures of Ahmed Elmohamady, Neil Taylor and goalkeeper Tom Heaton.
Villa confirmed on their official website that all three players will leave when their contracts expire this summer.
“The popular trio, who are each out of contract at Villa Park this summer, move on with the very best wishes of everyone at the club,” Villa said.
“Ahmed, Neil and Tom depart the club having been hugely admired, both in the dressing room and among supporters, and have been fantastic servants on and off the pitch.”
READ MORE: Bullying Solskjaer, Pogba’s untapped potential, and more mails…
Right-sided player Elmohamady has made 129 appearances for Villa in all competitions since joining from Hull in the summer of 2017, while right-back Taylor featured on 103 occasions after switching from Swansea earlier that year.
Heaton joined Villa following their return to the top flight in August 2019 and started in their first 20 Premier League games before his 2019/20 season was cut short due to a knee ligament injury.
The former Burnley goalkeeper did not appear for Villa this season and has been reported to have agreed a deal to return to Manchester United.
Heaton spent eight years at Old Trafford until 2010 without making a first team appearance for the club.
Meanwhile, according to The Athletic, Aston Villa have joined the race for Emi Buendia and have already ‘laid the groundwork’ for a deal.
The West Midlands outfit are looking to bolster their squad after a successful season in the Premier League.
They finished in 11th-place on 55 points, despite missing captain Jack Grealish for some of the campaign.
The report states that Buendia could be signed to play alongside Grealish, rather than replacing him in the event of a big money move for the England international.
Buendia can operate as a CAM, which would allow Grealish to play on the left wing and cut inside to great effect.
Dean Smith also wants a player who can step up in Grealish’s absence.
During the skipper’s time on the sidelines between late February and early May, Aston Villa lacked the ability to open up opposition defences.
Their points-per-game dropped from 1.7 to 1.0 when he was injured, showing just how important the 25-year-old is to the team.
Buendia is one player who would be able to fill in for Grealish. He’s had another impressive campaign with Norwich, helping them to secure an immediate return to the Premier League.
The player registered 15 goals and 17 assists in just 39 league games, making him one of the Canaries’ most valuable assets.
The post Elmohamady among ‘popular trio’ released by Aston Villa appeared first on Football365.