Despite his embarrassing antics this season, Aston Villa striker Gabby Agbonlahor won’t be sacked by the club this summer.
Although Villa are said to be desperate to sell the 29-year-old, The Sun claim that he will not be axed from the club following their relegation to the Championship.
It has been a major fall from grace for the Birmingham-born forward, who has gone from being a hero amongst supporters to drawing the ire of all concerned after he was again caught partying this week.
Following on from a trip to Dubai earlier this season with his club in the midst of a relegation battle, Agbonlahor was suspended by the club after pictures emerged of him on a laughing gas and booze binge just hours after the club was relegated.
The drop down to the Championship has inevitably led to the club being forced to take cost-cutting measures, and those include 500 staff being made redundant, while the upper tier of the Trinity Road Stand at Villa Park will be shut next season.
With more resignations in the club’s hierarchy this week, no word from owner Randy Lerner and a lack of progress over appointing a long-term manager, it promises to be a miserable few weeks for Villa.
Meanwhile, it is highly likely that Agbonlahor has played his last game for the club, and an investigation into the latest incident could yet yield a satisfactory conclusion for fans who have been left furious with his antics.
Nevertheless, as it stands, it doesn’t appear as though Villa will get rid of him immediately, and will hope to sell him this summer as part of their rebuilding plans.
However, therein lies another issue as the former England star’s £50,000-a-week deal has two years to run, although his salary will be halved following relegation.
It is questionable as to who will want to sign him given his poor performances and fitness this season as well as his lack of respect off the pitch.
As a result, it remains to be seen how the situation plays out as it is undoubtedly another distraction that Villa can do without.