Player Focus: Why Delph Departure Would be the Biggest Blow Possible to Villa

Having been confirmed as Aston Villa's new assistant manager, Ray Wilkins was quick to state that there is money to spend despite ongoing uncertainty with Randy Lerner's tenure set to surcease. The former Chelsea number two also claimed that the club would be 'very active' in the upcoming transfer window.

While such comments are encouraging for the fans, who have had to watch on as the owner has pulled much of the considerable financial clout he provided upon his takeover in 2006 away, Villa could yet be left licking their wounds once more as others continue to strengthen. Former captain Ron Vlaar is widely expected to leave the club on a free at the end of the month, while star striker Christian Benteke has refused to sign a new contract amidst apparent interest from the likes of Liverpool.

It is, however, the news that current skipper Fabian Delph reportedly has a modest release clause in a contract signed back in January that is most concerning. Many were shocked when the 25-year old penned a new contract at the start of the year. With a number of clubs tipped to fight it out for his free transfer in the summer, the player intimated that the club's loyalty towards him throughout lengthy injuries in his first few seasons in the Midlands was something he felt needed repaying.

While any sale is a better outcome for Villa than it might have been, the midfielder's departure would be a body blow tantamount to those of Gareth Barry and James Milner. Coincidentally both donned the captain's armband at Villa Park before transfers to the Etihad, and Villans supporters will be desperate that history does not repeat itself.

Villa have been what one might consider a 'selling club' for some time now, beyond Lerner's reign, but while the likes of Southampton have shown that it is possible to combat such a status, Villa have crumbled in recent years. Indeed, the core of the side, and indeed the dressing room over the past two seasons in particular has been Fabian Delph.

A well-liked character at the club, Delph’s midfield partner last season Tom Cleverley stated, "What impresses me more than all that skill is his attitude. He works tremendously hard. He's always first in the door and last to leave." Such sentiments have been echoed by both his former and current club boss as well as Roy Hodgson, who has named the midfielder in each of his international squads since a dismal World Cup campaign.

While his work ethic has been such a major factor in Delph becoming a fan favourite at Villa Park, like Milner and Barry before him, it's his quality that would be most sorely missed, despite both later being pigeon-holed as work horses. The former Leeds midfielder is the heartbeat of a side that have been on the brink of taking their last Premier League breath for too long now, scooping Villa's player of the year award in back-to-back campaigns.

In truth Delph perhaps didn't quite hit the standards he maintained across the 2013/14 season, with a WhoScored.com rating dropping marginally from 7.12 to 7.08. A shoulder injury restricted the midfielder to just 27 league starts, but when fit he was still the standout performer more often than not.

Since his arrival Sherwood has encouraged Delph to cut loose a little more and support the attacks, resulting in crucial goals and assists in both the FA Cup quarter and semi-finals. He may not have scored in the league at anywhere close to the frequency he would have liked but, similar to his time at Leeds, when the midfielder is on target it tends to be in spectacular fashion (see goals against Southampton, West Brom and Chelsea).

Last season the 25-year old averaged 78.3 touches per game, not only 15 more than any other Villa player but also enough to rank fourteenth in the entire league and first when it came to midfielders that finished outside of the Champions League places. It was a similar story in terms of accurate passes in the final third, with no player outside of the European places averaging more (15.3). Meanwhile, of all players to complete at least 50 dribbles last season, only Yaya Toure had a better success rate than the Villa man (82.4%), tipped to be a future teammate of the Ivorian.

It may well be a desire to play alongside the players above him in such lists that sees Delph move away from Villa Park, albeit with a heavy heart. While many will continue to doubt a player that has been praised and lambasted in equal measure on the international front, leaving Villa would give the midfielder the chance to prove those doubters wrong. As it stands there will always be those that question how a player for a club that have performed so poorly in recent years could possibly be good enough for England, even at their current, somewhat underwhelming state.

Manchester City's interest may well come from a need to fill a homegrown quota dented by the departures of the likes of Milner and Micah Richards, who has already made the switch to Villa Park, but their necessity for strength in numbers in an ageing midfield became abundantly clear last season. With his attitude and application there's no reason why Delph wouldn't follow in the footsteps of the likes of Barry and Milner and be a popular figure at Eastlands, should he make the move. In the last two seasons he's proven he has the quality to play in Europe, though it's a step that has grown larger since his predecessors sought a new challenge.

The repercussions of any transfer would be huge for Villa, and while links to the likes of Jordy Clasie are encouraging they also seem wishful. Gary Gardner's return from an excellent loan spell with Forest could be a boost, but it would be a far bigger one if Delph remained at the club to mentor the emerging talent that Villa may well rely on in the years to come. For his own good, with Euro 2016 on the horizon, the midfielder could yet decide to do just that.

Should Delph stay at Villa ahead of the upcoming Euro 2016 Championship or take the chance to play in Europe? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below