The perfect Tottenham and Aston Villa swap transfer deal that would solve looming problems

Things have been going quite well at Aston Villa lately. Not sure if you've noticed. At the time of writing, Unai Emery's side sit fourth in the Premier League table, just five points adrift of leaders Liverpool, and are still in with a real shot of winning both the FA Cup and Europa Conference League. Given where the club was when they took the uncomfortable decision to oust Steven Gerrard, that is, quite simply, remarkable.

Nothing good comes without challenges, though. And while Villa have been steadily establishing themselves as a serious and sustained threat in the upper echelons of English football, they have increasingly found themselves butting up against the ceilings imposed by profit and sustainability regulations. Anybody with even a passing interest in the top flight need only look at Everton's current predicament to see how costly it can become when a club fails to properly comply with these rules.

As such, The Athletic report that the Villans could look to sell certain talents in an effort to balance their books somewhat and avoid a damaging situation further down the line. One name in particular that has been mentioned is that of academy graduate Jacob Ramsey.

The 22-year-old midfielder is an incredibly popular figure at Villa Park, partially because he is the archetypal local lad done good, and partially because his personal progression in recent times has ensured that he has cemented himself as an important member of Emery's dressing room. Indeed, seemingly in direct response to recent rumours over the player's future, his manager told a press conference this week: "In the second part of the season he is going to be very, very important to us. His potential is very high, an even higher level than my expectations."

Undoubtedly, Emery is being sincere in his comments. The Spaniard evidently believes in Ramsey, and in an ideal world, would be horrified by the prospect of his departure, especially if he were to join the likes of a Tottenham Hotspur or a Newcastle United - just two of the clubs credited with an interest in his services. But the blunt reality is that this could be an exit which is eventually taken out of Emery's hands.

Financial regulations leave no room for sentimentality, and sooner or later, Villa might be forced into a position whereby they have to consider sales. Valued at around £50 million, and having cost them virtually nothing, it is easy to see why Ramsey would be a viable candidate. He probably won't leave this month, but that doesn't guarantee that he will stick around forever.

If he does go, however, it does not necessarily mean that Villa can't still get something good in return. Currently lurking on the edges of Tottenham's first team is Giovani Lo Celso. The Argentine has struggled to properly carve out a niche for himself in north London, and a prospective exit has been touted on several occasions already.

Indeed, one of the clubs Lo Celso has been linked with is Aston Villa, presumably because he and Unai Emery have a shared history together. The pair reached a Champions League semi-final in 2022 during a stint at Villarreal, and the common consensus seems to be that Emery admires the midfielder's talents.

Perhaps, then, there is a potential solution here that, while less than satisfactory to many Villa supporters, would at the very least soften the blow a touch. If Ramsey must be sold in the future, could there be a workable scenario in which Lo Celso moves in the other direction?

Spurs would get their man, Villa would still get a considerable injection of funds, and Emery would be provided with a replacement of sorts who he has worked with, and coaxed the best out of, before.

None of this is to say that Villa should actively pursue an agreement along those lines, but if worst comes to worst, sometimes you have to make the best of a bad situation. Lo Celso's arrival could have the potential to do exactly that.