Aston Villa set to bank millions in the summer after unforeseen transfer development

Aston Villa are expected to complete the sale of young defender Kosta Nedeljkovic this coming summer - just 18 months after they agreed to sign him in the first place. Right-back Nedeljkovic joined the club from boyhood club Red Star Belgrade in his native Serbia, signing in January 2024 but staying put until last summer.

Nedeljkovic joined Villa on their pre-season tour of the US and he made ten appearances across the four competitions Villa were taking part in - and, indeed, still are in the cases of three of those - as an understudy to Matty Cash, a role he shared with Lamare Bogarde.

Still, with Ezri Konsa also leaned on when needed by Unai Emery to provide more experience on the right side of defence, and with Andres Garcia also recruited in the January transfer window, Nedeljkovic - who has a contract with Villa until 2029 - was permitted to leave in January for RB Leipzig on an initial loan deal.

Nedeljkovic has played five times so far for the Bundesliga side, who are currently fifth in the German top tier and remain very much in with a chance of claiming a Champions League spot before the end of the season.

It would appear that the player himself has settled in very quickly to his new surroundings and only recently he gave an interview to the Leipzig local press indicating as much.

"I have a good feeling about Leipzig," he told LVZ. "I enjoy it here. I've also started learning German. We'll see in the summer and until then, I'll definitely give 100 percent to this club."

Nedeljkovic was also quizzed on how the German top flight differs to what he has experienced in England and Serbia.

"Every competition is different," he explained. "In Serbia the quality of the league is different, but we also played against Leipzig in the Champions League with Red Star. I was at this club for eight years; it is close to my heart.

"I won two titles, the league and the cup, and played in the Champions League. After that I went to Aston Villa in Birmingham. That was a good step, because it's different again in the Premier League. Then I came here and that's good too. I want to show what I can do and I'll give 100 percent to earn it. I know I can, but it's not important who plays; what matters is that we win and everyone gives 100 percent."

Now, further reports have emerged in Germany that Leipzig indeed intend to trigger the option they have had included in the loan deal which allows them to complete the signing of Nedeljkovic on a permanent basis. The deal would bank Villa around €12m and mean they bank a small profit on what they paid for him.

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