‘Very sad’ - Aston Villa chief reveals desperate 12 month contract talks before £43m Newcastle United transfer
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Newcastle United latest news: One Aston Villa chief has admitted he was ‘very sad’ to see Jacob Ramsey leave the club in summer.
Aston Villa’s director of football operations, Damian Vidagany, has confirmed that the Villains tried for a year to extend Jacob Ramsey’s contract at Villa Park before his move to Newcastle United this summer.
The Magpies had tracked Ramsey for a number of months before eventually making their move in August. A £39m fee, one that could rise to £43m with add-ons, was eventually agreed between the two clubs in a transfer that helped Villa navigate financial restrictions placed on them by both the Premier League and UEFA.
An injury, suffered on his full debut, has meant Ramsey has endured an interrupted start to life on Tyneside, but a promising performance against Spurs in midweek, coupled with being a rare bright spot for the Magpies at the London Stadium on Sunday, has raised hopes that he can kick-on at Newcastle United.
For Villa, though, Ramsey’s sale caused a deal of discontent with many believing that they were forced into the move, much like Newcastle United were with the sale of Elliot Anderson a year previous, due to financial restrictions placed on them, rather than for footballing reasons. Villains captain John McGinn posted a strong response to the sale on social media in August, writing: McGinn wrote: “A perfect example of how an academy player should handle the transition to the first-team. Always humble, respectful and willing to learn.
“It’s been a privilege to share the dressing room with you and enjoy some special moments together on the pitch. A sad day losing a top player and person and one of our own but it seems to be the way football is set up these days! All the best JJ.”
Aston Villa chief reacts to Newcastle United transfer
Whilst selling Ramsey helped alleviate financial pressures at Villa Park, Vidagany has recently admitted that being unable to tie him down to a new contract was also a factor in allowing him to leave the club. Ramsey had just less than two years left on his contract at his boyhood club before his move to Tyneside.
Speaking to BBC Radio WM, Vidagany admitted he was ‘very sad’ to see Ramsey leave, but had to agree to the deal which suited all parties: “It was very sad that Jacob departed because Jacob represented the dream of every Birmingham neighbourhood. But there are two things.
“We sold Jacob Ramsey because it was a great offer from Newcastle. Second thing was Jacob Ramsey finishing his contract in 2027. And we didn’t get any agreement to extend the contract.
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“For one year, we tried. But what is true, when a player is not extending, you have two ways. Let him terminate the contract and finish it and go for free or for lower money.
“Or, if you don’t extend him, sell him at the best price. We didn’t get an agreement, so sometimes when it happens that we can not get an agreement, the best deal is to sell at the best price.”
Ramsey signed a long-term deal with Newcastle United upon joining the club in August, although it hasn’t been revealed the exact length of that contract.