Unai Emery declares winger move a good deal for Aston Villa

The 22-year-old winger is leaving just six months after returning to the club in a £13.5m switch from Hull last July, a move heavily pushed for by Emery.

But he has started just four matches and is now bound for Suffolk, with Villa believing the deal will give them extra wriggle room in the January window.

A swoop for Borussia Dortmund winger Donyell Malen is now expected to go through, while Diego Carlos could be sold to further free up funds.

Emery said: “We are trying to get the best for the club, the best for the team and the player.

“We try to make the best decision, trying to analyse deeply each situation. 

“With Jaden, we believe in him, it is the reason we signed him last summer. We pushed a lot to bring him here. 

“But after the last six months he was not being consistent for different circumstances and for the club, other teams were calling us interested in him. 

“It works for the club now and we have to accept it. Of course, our idea as well is to try and replace him.”

Philogene’s move to Hull completes a curious 18-month journey which has seen him leave Villa for Hull for £5m, only to be bought back and now sold again.

Ipswich had agreed a fee of £18m with Hull to buy Philogene last summer but Villa, at the insistence of Emery, triggered a clause included in the original sale which allowed them to match any bids from rival Premier League clubs.

Philogene promptly returned to the club he first joined as a 15-year-old but struggled to make an impact.

Emery feared Villa had made a mistake by allowing him to leave for Hull and was pivotal in persuading him to return, hoping he could fill the void left by the sale of Moussa Diaby to Saudi Arabia.

But it has not worked out and with Ipswich still keen on the player, Villa deemed the offer too good to turn down. Villa will receive an initial £20m for Philogene, with a further £3m in add-ons.

Emery, meanwhile, remained non-committal on Carlos’ future with Turkish giants Fenerbahce eyeing a £10m deal for the centre-back.

“When we are in the transfer window, different options can happen with the players,” said the boss. 

“Of course, we can see how important Diego Carlos was and is for us because he played consistently with us, performing very well. 

“Like I told you before, we are thinking in different circumstances but always trying to link and get what is best for the club, for the team and for each player.”