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Aston Villa, under Unai Emery, has experienced its most successful era in the 21st century since his arrival in 2022. Few could have predicted that the team, having been in the Championship in 2019, would reach a Champions League quarter-final six years later, even defeating Bayern Munich in a high-stakes match. However, much of the squad that secured their place in Europe’s elite has been significantly altered, making this summer’s transfer window a disappointing one for the Midlands club.
Due to the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability regulations, Villa has only made one signing for a fee—19-year-old defender Yasin Özcan from Turkish club Kasimpasa, costing €7 million. Additionally, there are numerous rumors suggesting that several of the club’s key players might depart from Villa Park. Loan signings Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio were crucial in supporting Emery’s squad during the latter part of last season, but with their departures unaddressed, and without the prospect of Champions League football, should Villa fans be concerned about potential stagnation and the risk of losing some of the remarkable progress made in recent years?
Aston Villa’s alarming lack of signings
In the current summer transfer window, only Crystal Palace (€2.3m) and Fulham (€0m) have spent less than Aston Villa’s €7 million. Together, Asensio and Rashford accounted for 29.3% of Villa’s goals from February onwards last season, contributing an additional seven assists during that period. Without these two players, coupled with interest in wingers Leon Bailey and Jacob Ramsey, Villa could find themselves lacking in width and attacking options. Reports also indicate that Villa may be open to selling striker Ollie Watkins, 29, to remain compliant with Premier League financial regulations, with other key players like Morgan Rogers and Emiliano Martínez also linked with moves away.
Last January, the club did bring in forward Donyell Malen from Borussia Dortmund and youth talent Samuel Iling-Junior from Juventus. However, Malen only started three matches last season, while Iling-Junior has yet to make his debut, having spent last season on loan. Aston Villa currently has 29 players registered in their first team, though many are expected to leave either on loan or permanently. Their squad includes just five registered forwards and wingers in total.
Aston Villa’s Champions League-qualifying squad falling apart?
Aston Villa’s achievement in the 2023/24 Premier League was remarkable, challenging the conventional norms of the English top flight. Under Emery, the team dramatically climbed into the top four, securing a Champions League spot. When he took over from Steven Gerrard just 11 games into the 2022/23 season, the club was struggling in 17th place. Those who experienced this turnaround will tell you it was the most memorable season they’ve witnessed. A genuine connection developed between the fans and the squad.
If you had told fans back then that Douglas Luiz, Moussa Diaby, Diego Carlos, and Jhon Durán would be leaving the club within a year of that top-four finish, and that players like Bailey, Watkins, Rogers, and Digne might also follow, it would have raised eyebrows. The graphic above illustrates that an entire XI could be formed from players already sold by Aston Villa since last season or those heavily linked to moves away this summer. There is still ample time for Villa to turn their transfer situation around. However, the dismantling of a substantial portion of the squad that experienced success under Emery is understandably a cause for concern.
