Report: James Chester eyeing Aston Villa exit; keen on MLS move

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Aston Villa have decided that they are not willing to let James Chester go unless they can get a replacement in, with The Sun on Sunday (26/1; page 61) reporting that the centre-back is keen to move to Major League Soccer.

Chester has played a peripheral role for Dean Smith’s men this season. He is yet to play in the Premier League, while he has made one appearance in both the FA Cup and League Cup.

And it appears that he is not too happy about his situation at Villa Park.

The Sun on Sunday (26/1; page 61) reports that he is hoping to move to America.

But Villa have reportedly decided that they will only sell the Wales international for a fee that allows another player to be brought in.

TBR View – Should Villa let Chester leave?

While Smith will be wary of letting any player leave this month, there may be a temptation to let Chester move on given how rarely he is involved.

As reported by Spotrac, Chester is one of the squad’s higher earners on £30,000-a-week. His departure could prove beneficial as Villa look to strengthen.

The problem the Villans perhaps have is the MLS window does not open until mid-February. So it may not be possible to sell Chester until after the January window has shut.

If they can afford to buy a replacement before the deadline, it may be worth taking the short-term hit before then allowing Chester to move on.