'I'm told' - Aston Villa transfer plan for player detailed in blow to Preston North End
Kaine Kesler-Hayden spent the season on loan at PNE from Aston Villa
Aston Villa are expected to sell Kaine Kesler-Hayden for a ‘very big transfer fee’ according to Preston North End CEO Peter Ridsdale.
The Lilywhites took the full-back on a season long loan for the 2024/25 campaign and Kesler-Hayden won all three Player of the Year awards. He made 51 appearances across all competitions - more than any other PNE player - and scored two goals, while assisting three.
He now returns to Villa after his fifth loan spell - third in the Championship - away from his parent club. Kesler-Hayden spoke highly of his North End stint throughout the season and didn’t rule out returning, but also admitted it would be out of his hands due to being under contract.
Preston have had several impressive loan signings in recent seasons but the trend is that they go elsewhere after their year at Deepdale. Ridsdale, in an extended interview with BBC Radio Lancashire this week, shared his understanding of the situation regarding Kesler-Hayden this summer.
Discussing the players leaving the club this summer, Ridsdale said: "Obviously, we had four loan players who are going to be out of contract with us. They go back to their parent clubs. I think with Kaine particularly, we've done what we are very good at, at this football club... we've taken a player who needed first team experience.
“He has won all of the awards for Player of the Year and I am told that he is unlikely to stay at Villa, and they will command a very big transfer fee for him. Which, we seem to be very good at generating for other clubs. But, we get criticised for that. We do good loans and then we get criticised; it is part and parcel of the process.
“If you want to attract people from Premier League clubs, sometimes you have to accept that we will have them here for a limited period of time and try to get the best out of them while they are here. At the moment, we are concentrating on permanent signings. Any vacancies we still have closer to the season, if we fill the gaps in with loans then we will do that.”
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