It's the middle of June, I'm sat in front of the sofa watching a match at the Euro 2024 tournament and thought, we need a new post. It's time. Things are starting to happen.
The biggest thing that's maybe about to happen is Douglas Luiz might be leaving to ply his trade in Italy. I think he'll be missed.
He scored ten and assisted in 10 last season and that is some contribution for a midfielder. But I don't think it's a huge loss or a loss we can't easily get over.
Let me put it this way. Until Unai turned up, did Luiz ever have such a good season? I think it's fair to say that the manager got him there. If we accept that and all the data we have suggests it to be the case, then he'll get someone else there too. And if the story is true and I suspect it is, we're getting cash and two players for him.
It's good business all round.
And if we are to believe the papers, it looks like Jhon Durán is off to Chelsea too. And this one hurts harder than Luiz for me. I think Durán has a lot of potential and I think Chelsea might benefit from him settling in the UK with us. But, that said, I like Ollie more and I don't think the manager will start the season a striker down. And if the rumoured price is true, it's very good business.
The final bit of speculation that I think along with the two above is in all likelihood true, is that Diego Carlos will be leaving. This doesn't actually bother me. When he came, I was very excited, then sad when he got injured. But this season, he's not looked that interested for me.
If we can get back what we paid for him it would be good business. If we got more, happy days.
And football is different these days and I guess this is where I'm going to end my post.
It turns out we now have the business office of Aston Villa in London. I'd not be surprised if there were no offices in a few years at Villa Park. And I don't think it's a bad thing. I think we have to move with the times and I think I saw something on Twitter that we might even have a hotel of sorts coming to Bodymoor.
It's moving with the times. It does feel right, for football today. But it's starting to remind me more and more of the 1975 film Rollerball.
The times, they are a changing. I've written that before a few times, but the divide is getting bigger and if we don't play one aspect of the game, we're not going to enjoy the other. It's the cost of doing business and this is something we have to accept and embrace if we want the future to be what it could be.
We are getting closer and I have a feeling things are going to start to get a little busier around Aston Villa quite soon. Maybe we start with the new kit?