Aston Villa Transactions: Elmohamady signs extension, O’Hare joins Coventry

Aston Villa Football Club made a pair of transactions on Thursday – signing Ahmed Elmohamady to a one-year contract extension, while Callum O’Hare joins Coventry City on a season-long loan.

Fresh off a solid season, and in the midst of the final year of his deal, Ahmed Elmohamady agreed to a one-year contract extension with the claret and blues. The new deal ensures the Egyptian fullback and winger is contracted through summer 2021.

It’s a well-earned deal for Elmo after joining the Villa from Hull City in July 2017. His first season under former manager Steve Bruce was pretty terrible, wherein the usually dangerous crosser struggled for much of the season, assisting on just two goals from October to May when Villa flamed out in the Play-Off Final. To his credit, however, Elmo rebounded nicely last season with strong performances in the second division, culminating in promotion and his captaincy of Egypt at the Africa Cup of Nations.

Thus far, Elmohamady has kept new arrival Fred Guilbert away from the matchday squad as the starting right-fullback. At this point, we know what Elmo does well (tireless stamina, great deep ball delivery) and does not do well (recovery pace, tracking the ball in the air). At almost 32, Villa get the safety net Elmo provides for two or three different positions for another season. He’s the perfect high floor/low ceiling squad player.

The club didn’t end their business Thursday: Villa announced that Callum O’Hare joined League One side Coventry on a season-long loan. For O’Hare, 21, it’s an opportunity to earn consistent minutes after a quick cup of tea with Carlisle in 2019. It was there, that O’Hare earned a League Two Player-of -the-Month nomination in April.

Coventry lost Tom Bayliss to Preston North End in the summer; O’Hare, hopefully, can absorb those minutes.