Jacob Ramsey responds to Alex Moreno’s message amid Aston Villa exit rumours
Jacob Ramsey has responded to teammate Alex Moreno’s message amid rumours linking both players with an Aston Villa exit this summer.
Moreno spent last season on loan at Nottingham Forest from Aston Villa, but was restricted to making 19 appearances for the club as he had to settle for a regular spot on the bench due to Neco Williams’ strong form.
He is now back in the Villa fold after his spell in the East Midlands, but looks set to be on the move again after Football Insider recently revealed that Moreno is open to a move to Leeds this summer due to a likely lack of opportunities behind both Lucas Digne and Ian Maatsen.
Daniel Farke is in the market for left-back reinforcements after Junior Firpo left Elland Road at the end of his contract last month despite the Whites’ return to the Premier League, and Football Insider revealed in June that Leeds have made contact with Villa over a move for the 32-year-old.
Digne has been targeted by Atletico Madrid, but that has not stopped rumours of Moreno being set to leave the Second City after Foot Mercato journalist Santi Aouna reported that both Sunderland and Burnley are also in interested in his services.
Moreno posts Aston Villa pre-season message
Moreno is still a Villa player, and he started their second pre-season friendly of the summer against German third-tier side Hansa Rostock on Saturday (19 July).
The left-back was taken off at half-time as Emery’s side eventually fell to a 3-1 defeat, and he took to Instagram on Sunday (20 July) to share some pictures of him in action at the Osteestadion alongside the caption: “Fieldwork on sensations.”
Moreno’s message was reacted with likes from Nottingham Forest-linked Ramsey, Emi Buendia and former Forest teammates Nico Dominguez and Jota Silva.
Leeds have moved on but Villa exit still likely for Moreno
Football Insider verdict
Leeds were interested in Moreno’s signature earlier in the summer, but the Whites recently moved to sign Gabriel Gudmundsson from Lille, who primarily plays at left-back, so it looks as if their pursuit of Moreno is over for now.
With that said, it would still be a surprise to see the 32-year-old remain in Emery’s squad for the duration of the 2025/26 campaign, due to Digne and Maatsen remaining ahead of him in the pecking order, while young Turkish left-back Yasin Ozcan is also an option for the Basque boss after he signed a pre-contract from Kasimpasa in February.
| Appearances | Goals | Assists |
| 55 | 2 | 4 |
The Spaniard has played over 50 times in the English top-flight, and also has experience in multiple European competitions, so it seems a no-brainer for another Premier League team to sign him soon, especially if they are in the market for a new left-back.
He would be a solid option for either Sunderland and Burnley, or a move back to Spain could appeal, with former club Real Betis and Real Sociedad both also believed to be tracking his availability earlier in the window, according to Foot Mercato journalist Aouna.