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A summer revamp is needed at Aston Villa.

Now the claret and blues have retained their Premier League status - Tim Sherwood will be looking forward.

Are Villa simply happy just to stay in the top flight or do they have ambitions to compete at the top end again?

Will Randy Lerner or his successor dig deeper into his pocket next season to ensure a more comfortable ride?

If there’s a repeat of the penny pinching seen in recent transfer windows then Villa are in for another battle against the drop.

Sherwood insists that his side won’t be in trouble next season, but change is a must this summer and deep down the gaffer must know it.

The potential ins and outs at Villa Park

On more than one occasion Sherwood has said there won’t be ‘major surgery’ but the forward line is a key area that needs addressing,

Credit to him that he’s got strikers Christian Benteke and Gabby Agbonlahor among the goals again but Villa need at least one new goalscorer,

Benteke is a man in demand having scored 12 goals in his last 11 games.

Bids of £30m-plus are expected this summer with Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester United, and Roma all showing an interest.

Sherwood insists he isn’t going anywhere and has told the Belgian he’d be foolish to give up regular football for a move away ahead of Euro 2016.

Record signing Darren Bent’s future is still uncertain, too.

He’s out of contract at the end of next month but Villa might well offer him a new deal on reduced terms.

Sherwood said recently that he ‘knows all about’ the hitman who scored 12 goals in 17 games for Derby County on loan and will make a decision after the FA Cup Final.

Elsewhere Libor Kozak’s return from injury may give the team a boost yet the need for fresh legs is essential.

Could Emmanuel Adebayor be an option? Sherwood knows him well having rejuvenated his career at Tottenham.

The out-of-favour Togo ace didn’t fancy a low-profile loan move (Stoke and QPR were interested) in January but the chance to play under Sherwood could change his mind.

Of course his £100k+ weekly wages would be a stumbling block but if Spurs buy out the remainder of his contract and let him depart there could be room for manoeuvre.

Sherwood will scour the globe along with director of recruitment Paddy Reilly for further new recruits but he could look closer to home.

Rickie Lambert’s name will still be on the database but I doubt Sherwood will see him as the long-term answer.

A new midfielder and wide man will be targeted.

Tom Cleverley’s remarkable transformation means that he is now a wanted man yet Sherwood is desperate for him to sign permanently at Villa Park.

Injury-prone Joe Cole is 34 in November, Leandro Bacuna is now preferred as a full-back, Ashley Westwood and Carlos Sanchez have been average and Carles Gil is yet to hit it off under the new regime.

Whether Villa decide to go big on a new midfield partner for Fabian Delph remains to seen.

Swindon Town’s Massimo Luongo is thought to be the top priority in the centre while wide-man Alex Pritchard may also be courted if Tottenham decide he can leave.

The troubled left-back position may be addressed, too.

It’s still not as strong as it can be and if Joe Bennett doesn’t impress Sherwood in training following his return from a loan spell at Brighton, a new arrival may become a priority.

Aly Cissokho’s future is in serious doubt and Kieran Richardson’s injury problems are a concern,

Of the players out there Swansea’s Neil Taylor stands out but the hard-working scouts at the club will be scouring for hidden gems.

Ron Vlaar has yet to be offered a new deal at the club so if he leaves when his contract expires the defence may need to be addressed,

Jores Okore, Philippe Senderos, Nathan Baker and Ciaran Clark will all remain at the club and promising centre-half Kevin Toner is also developing nicely but the need for a quality replacement is essential.

The good news is that Villa will be in a healthy financial position at the start of next season now Premier League survival has been secured.

Years of cost-cutting has left the club in good shape meaning that they’re now well placed to take a punt on big-money moves.

It certainly won’t be in Bent’s £18million bracket but everything is in place to start considering eight-figure targets again.

Paul Lambert’s net spend was high but his most expensive recruit was Benteke at £7million.

Of the higher-priced buys, Vlaar and Okore have turned out well while Gil and Sanchez have shown promise.

Sherwood will not rule out members of the youth team when considering next season’s plans.

He promoted England duo Harry Kane and Ryan Mason to the first-team at Spurs as well as Nabil Bentaleb and already young star Jack Grealish has shone while Lewis Kinsella, Rushian Hepburn-Murphy and Riccardo Calder have been given added responsibility at Villa.

If he can develop some of the Under-21s into first-team stars there will be smiles all around.

I sense, however, that the only way forward is using the transfer market to the best of their ability.