Unai Emery has transformed Aston Villa once. Now he must do it again — this time without the two players who scored in May's Europa League final victory over Freiburg.
Morgan Rogers has joined Chelsea for £117m, a record fee for an English player, and Youri Tielemans has moved to Manchester United after his £35m release clause was triggered. Lucas Digne is expected to follow them out of the door, with Paris St-Germain poised to sign the left-back. Arsenal could yet test Villa's resolve over Ezri Konsa.
“Aston Villa sell Morgan Rogers for £117m and lose Youri Tielemans as Emery rebuilds for Champions League campaign.”
The departures strip 489 Premier League appearances from Emery's squad, along with two of the scorers in that 3-0 European final triumph. Rogers's goal that night was his last for the club before the record-breaking transfer.
Emery inherited a side 14th in the table, three points above the relegation zone, in November 2022. He led them to fourth place last season, gatecrashing the top five for the second time in three years and securing entry to the Champions League for 2026-27. The Europa League win ended a 30-year trophy drought.
But Villa's revival has been built amid financial constraints. Uefa's Squad Cost Ratio limits spending on transfers, wages and agent fees to 70% of revenue — rules that have long frustrated the club. Selling Jacob Ramsey to Newcastle for £40m last summer was necessary to comply. Selling Rogers was the easiest way to meet the same regulations this time.
Large-scale replacements for the England forward, Tielemans and Digne are unlikely without further significant exits. Fringe players will leave: Hull are keen on Leon Bailey, though that may be an initial loan, while Evann Guessand can depart. Tammy Abraham, however, is happy at Villa Park and not looking to leave.
Next season's Premier League landscape will be different. Tottenham expect a resurgence, Xabi Alonso will aim to revive Chelsea, Liverpool hope to be revitalised under Andoni Iraola, and Manchester United believe Michael Carrick's interim work can continue. Villa still intend to chase another top-four finish.
Can Emery work his magic again?