This season in the Championship will be a huge one for Aston Villa as they learn to adapt to life outside of the top flight of English football, for the first time since 1988 with manager Roberto Di Matteo looking to bounce the club back to the Premier League at the first time of asking.

The former Chelsea manager has already overseen the transfers of players in and out of the club over the summer.

The signings of centre back Tommy Elphick, goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini, and midfielder Aaron Tshibola have strengthened the squad with a number of players such as Idrissa Gueye, Brad Guzan, Charles N'Zogbia, Jose Angel Crespo, and Keiran Richardson leaving Villa Park.

Speculation linking Villa with a number of new signings before the end of the summer transfer window casts a shadow of uncertainty over the first team future of several players ahead of the 2016/17 season.

Football League World writer Steve Day looks at THREE players at the club that would benefit from a move away from the Villains, before the transfer window closes shut later this month.....

 

Mark Bunn

bunn321

The departure of Guzan had been long-in-the-making but Di Matteo's decision to move quickly and replace the USA stopper, with Gollini suggests that deputy keeper Bunn will not be asked to compete as a first choice keeper and will remain purely as a back-up option.

The 31 year old is not only fighting against the odds to make a start for the Villains this season, but he also faces a fight to even stay at the club with Di Matteo offering no guarantees that he will keep Bunn at the club this season.

Bunn has expressed his desire to play for Republic of Ireland at international level due to his father and grandmother being of Irish heritage.

If he wants to fulfil that ambition then he will need to ditch the role of back-up at a Championship club and look to find regular first team football elsewhere.

Jores Okore

okoreokore

There was a huge amount of expectation when Danish international centre back Okore signed for Aston Villa for £4 million from FC Nordsjaelland back in 2013.

Unfortunately, the defender suffered a serious knee injury which had a devastating impact on his involvement for the club over the past couple of seasons.

However, upon his return to first team action things quickly soured between Okore and the club's management team.

On 9th April, 2016, Okore refused to take up his position on the subs bench for the league game with Bournemouth. He later informed caretaker manager Eric Black that he no longer wished to be considered for selection for the club.

It can safely be said that Okore's relationship with the club has become untenable with the defender spending the last few months training with the under-21 squad.

The odds of Di Matteo somehow turning Okore's fortunes around at Villa Park are slim at best and a clean cut could be best for all concerned.

Joleon Lescott

lescottlescott

It is probably fair to say that Lescott's relationship with the Aston Villa fans is at an all-time low.

His behaviour during the club's relegation season from the Premier League caused outrage amongst the Villains supporter base, and it was rather surprising that he found himself continually selected in the face of such fierce criticism from his own fans.

The stand-out moment came when, after a demoralising 6-0 defeat at home to Liverpool on 14th February, 2016, Lescott tweeted a picture of a luxury car.

He later claimed that the tweet was due to his phone being in his pocket and he did not realise that image had been posted. Upon the club's eventual relegation, Lescott further enraged the fans by claiming the relegation was a “weight off the shoulders” of the players.

The 33-year-old has enjoyed an impressive career that has seen him win two Premier League titles, one FA Cup trophy, one Football League Cup trophy, and 26 caps for England but it would now appear his career could do with a fresh start after such a turbulent time with Aston Villa.

A period made all the more vitriolic due to his previous playing days at Villa's rivals Wolves and West Brom.

What do you think Villa fans? Do you agree that these three players would benefit from a move away from the club? Or are there other players who would benefit more? Let us know in the comments section below.