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Aston Villa are finally set to get Spanish playmaker Carles Gil off their books as the club’s summer transfer business continues.

Gil has spent the last two seasons on loan at La Liga side Deportivo La Coruna and played 11 times as they were relegated from the Spanish top flight in 2017/18.

Villa owner Dr Tony Xia revealed last year that Deportivo had an ‘obligation’ to buy Gil this summer.

Recent reports in Spain claimed relegation from La Liga would prevent Deportivo from honouring that agreement, but their new sporting director has since addressed those claims.

Carmelo del Pozo told Marca: "Carles Gil's compulsory purchase will be effective, then we will see if he wants to play in Segunda and if he is convinced of playing in Segunda."

Gil joined Villa in 2015 from Valencia and made 34 appearances in 18 months at the club.

Assessing Villa's summit

Aston Villa’s top brass will meet in London on Monday to formulate a plan in the midst of their financial crisis.

Dr Tony Xia gambled on promotion in his first two seasons as owner by bankrolling whopping transfer deals and handing out big contracts – and it’s backfired.

The Chinese businessman’s previously endless pot of money has seemingly dried up and the club has been forced to take out several emergency loans to pay wages and tax bills.

The wage bill needs to be reduced significantly while player sales will also be high on the agenda.

Xia will host a conference call from China. Joining him for key discussions will be fellow board member and ally Tracy Gu, chief commercial officer Luke Organ, director of football Steve Round and the chairman’s executive assistant Rongtian He.

Here’s a bit of background on each decision maker.

Tracy Gu

Gu lives in China and, according to records at Companies House, was appointed under the name Yanfang Gu to the Villa board in August 2016 following Tony Xia's takeover of the club.

Xia has known her for some time and got her involved at Villa after being impressed with her impact as the vice president and HR chief of his conglomerate, The Recon Group.

Gu was at the press conference in Beijing in July 2016 when Villa’s associates got together to discuss their preliminary plans for the club.

Those who know Gu talk of a 'high-flying professional, respected for her passionate approach to work'.

Before working for The Recon Group, she held a number of senior roles for a global Information Technology company.

Gu has worked as a director before and was involved in sourcing talented professionals to help improve certain areas of the business.

She speaks fluent English as well as Mandarin.

Luke Organ

Organ’s expertise is primarily in marketing and he headed up the innovative new kit deal alongside Fanatics and local brand LUKE 1977.

Villa’s crisis won’t unsettle Organ, who was part of the team responsible for getting rugby club Wasps back on its feet.

Prior to his work with Wasps, Organ worked for the Lotus F1 Team and has experience from a number of other sport and leisure projects in the past.

Described as 'hard-working, efficient and likeable' by those who have worked with him, he’s been known to get the job done in a friendly and affable way.

Organ also has links to China having worked there in the past.

Steve Round

CEO Keith Wyness, who was suspended by Villa last week and won’t be at the meeting, has described Round as one of the ‘brightest young thinkers in the game today’.

Round has been tasked with implementing the ‘Villa Engine’.

While Xia’s Villa transfer business has appeared to be with one short-term goal in mind, Round’s appointment as director of football in 2016 was made with the future at the forefront of his thinking.

Now 47, Round is a key decision maker at Villa Park.

His route to ‘elite coach’ is an interesting one. Round was struck down by a nasty injury in his early twenties while playing for Derby County and decided to head to Loughborough University and study a sports science diploma.

He started coaching at Pride Park before linking up with Steve McClaren at Middlesbrough. He would eventually go on to become England No.2 under McClaren.

Round also experienced life under David Moyes at both Everton and Manchester United.

Round is forever learning and completed a sporting directors Masters degree at Manchester Metropolitan University shortly before he arrived at Villa.

Round will have a key say in decisions made with regards to the playing staff at the meeting.

Rongtian He

He - known as Ho - is a fine example of a superfan living his boyhood dream.

In 2003, Ho wrote to Villa telling them of his desire to someday work for the club before saying ‘I know this is unrealistic’.

But 10 years later, a 25-year-old Ho landed the role of Asia Market Advisor with Villa just a few short months after completing a masters in Sport Management at Loughborough University.

Ho lists Lee Hendrie and Thomas Hitzlsperger as his Villa idols and watched on for the first time as Villa downed Chelsea to reach the semi-finals of the League Cup on 17 December 2003.

Ho is Xia's eyes and ears at Villa Park having been promoted to the role of executive assistant upon the owner's arrival in B6.

He's often seen alongside Xia at the club's training ground, and at matches.