Aston Villa in 'chase' to sign highly-rated Championship winger in the summer, buy-back clause could kick in

Aston Villa sold Jaden Philogene to Hull City in the summer of 2023 but now, the Villans are reportedly keen to bring him back to Villa Park - and they have a buy-back clause in his contract to facilitate this.

Sadly, it is not that simple. The clause will only become active if Hull win promotion to the Premier League - additionally, if another club submits a bid that exceeds the buy-back clause, Villa will be forced to meet it.

On the clause in Philogene's contract, Hull vice-chairman Tan Kesler said: "He’s not their player, he’s a Hull City player for sure, that I can tell you for sure. I’ve been open from the beginning and also you need to know that if we [are] promoted Villa have agreed to a buy back but only if we [are] promoted and we’re in the Premier League. They still have to agree with the player and – and this is very important – they still have to match if we receive another offer [from a rival club].

"I think, when the time comes, it would be a hefty deal for Villa to get him back, but they’re our friends so I’m not saying anything that I shouldn’t be saying here. Anytime in Jaden’s contract, if we [are] promoted, they have the right to buy him back for a specific price, again – I’m underlining it – if there’s no other offers. So there will be offers."

Who else is interested in a move for Jaden Philogene?

If Villa are serious about re-signing Philogene, they will need to do battle with Tottenham Hotspur, according to a report from TEAMtalk. Furthermore, Spurs are also believed to be 'leading' the pack.

Currently, it remains unclear as to where Philogene's preferred destination lies. Villa can compete with the Lilywhites financially - as such, the ball is in the 22-year-old's court.