The blockbuster £50m Aston Villa and Brentford transfer swap deal that could supercharge both teams - opinion

Aston Villa may have to get even more inventive than usual with their transfer business this summer.

The Villans now have less than three weeks until the deadline to comply with the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules (PSR) and need to make one significant sale - or sanction several less lucrative departures - sooner rather than later. Premier League clubs are not allowed to record losses of more than £105 million in a three-year period and Villa are on track to fail in that regard.

So, not only will Villa have to sacrifice players just to get by and avoid punishment from the Premier League, but they must also be very shrewd in their business if Unai Emery is to strengthen his squad. Money can be spent a little more freely once the June 30 PSR deadline passes but the Villans’ pockets are by no means deep, not helped by the failure to qualify for the Champions League.

Despite the financial restrictions, Emery is keen to make new signings in several positions and is working closely with Monchi, the president of football operations, to make the best possible plans. One avenue, which was utilised lots when navigating PSR issues last summer, could be instigating swap deals with other teams in a similar boat.

Albeit not a loophole as such, teams found that ‘swapping’ players but completing any such deal in separate transactions was a clever workaround. Take Villa’s sale of Tim Iroegbunam to Everton as an example. The Villans let their academy product leave for Goodison Park for £9 million, while Toffees winger Lewis Dobbin moved in the other direction for £10 million.

Villa could adopt a similar approach in the coming weeks to land a transfer target at the same time as addressing their PSR problems. With that idea in mind, Birmingham World has been assessing potential ways of doing just that — and there’s a possible swap deal, albeit yet to be rumoured, that could work pretty well.

Aston Villa could instigate stunning £50m Brentford swap deal

Emery is eager to bolster the creativity amongst his squad this summer and Brentford playmaker Mikkel Damsgaard has emerged as a possible target this week. A report from Caught Offside suggests Damsgaard has been added to the Villans’ shortlist, though the likes of Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United, Napoli and Inter Milan are all monitoring his situation.

Damsgaard, predominantly an attacking midfielder but also utilised regularly in the right and left inverted winger positions, proved his worth as a creative genius last season as he provided 11 assists. The 24-year-old was very reliable, too, as he played all 38 Premier League matches, averaging 77 minutes per game. Damsgaard also scored the odd goal here and there, netting three in total across all competitions.

Marco Asensio was signed on loan for the final six months of last season to inject some creativity and vision in between the lines and he could still sign permanently from Paris Saint-Germain, Birmingham World understands. That doesn’t mean Villa won’t sign a second playmaker, however, with Damsgaard very much fitting the profile of player Emery would like to bring in.

Now, that all sounds glorious but as well as know, Villa’s financial situation doesn’t allow for a straight purchase of a player as capable as Damsgaard, who could perhaps cost in excess of £40 million. Why not include a player to sweeten the deal, then? Well, Leon Bailey, worth around £25 million, is someone Villa are looking to sacrifice anyway and he could be a decent player to exchange as Brentford are in need of a direct winger pending Bryan Mbuemo’s imminent exit.

Bailey hardly got going last term as he scored merely two goals in 38 games across all competitions, adding just three assists. The 36-time Jamaica international was in scintillating form in 2023/24, however, as he scored 14 and assisted 14 in 52 games. If he can just rediscover his mojo, Bailey could be an excellent addition for Brentford.

The environment at the Gtech Community Stadium, albeit set to be briefly disturbed by head coach Thomas Frank’s exit, could help Bailey find his confidence again. The Bees often create a real buzz in their camp - pardon the pun - and the winger just needs a push to get going again as he’s clearly still capable. Pastures new might just help him do that.

What about the logistics of the deal, then? Well, as Villa would be the ones instigating it and Brentford would be reluctant to let Damsgaard go, there could be a situation of paying over the odds. But doing the deal in two separate transactions could work well, especially if it’s done near the June 30 deadline.

Say Villa were to agree to pay £50 million for Damsgaard - yes, we know, a lot - and in turn ask for £35 million in return for Bailey at a premium, then it could work for PSR reasons. As Brentford aren’t at risk of punishments, putting the Bailey sale through first on June 30 would represent a profit on the £28 million paid to Leverkusen in the eyes of PSR. Then, Villa could agree to sign Damsgaard the next day for the inflated fee.

And... breath. Confusing, we know. And perhaps a little bonkers. But this is a swap deal which could genuinely help both teams out. Would you like to see it happen? Is it at all realistic, or are we losing the plot in the off-season? Let us know in the comments section.