After coming out of what was undoubtedly one of the most bizzare transfer windows in the history of our football club, a round up post felt sincerely appropriate.
To be honest, contrary to what the first two results may lead one to think, I have quite enjoyed discussing Villa and football in general recently. Maybe winning the Europa League just takes the edge of things, remembering the magical night in which we ended our 30 year wait for a trophy.
However, there is certainly one thing that no Aston Villa fan could have saw coming, and that was that we would lose over half of that Europa League winning squad this summer. Deja vu for the older generation of fans, one may claim? There will be many on the site who more than likely look back at the European Cup win in 1982 and think we should’ve built more of a dynasty with the team we had at the time, but instead we were relegated just a few years later.
There’s one thing I am fairly certain about, and that is the fact that with Unai Emery, unless the team is utterly woeful and clearly in the bottom three teams in the league (which won’t happen with our finances), we will never actually get relegated for as long as we keep the manager.
Now, to the wider point of the article, an honest overview of Aston Villa’s transfer business this summer;
According to Transfermarkt.co.uk (which is where I will be taking all financial information from) Villa generated an income of €360.25m euros, and had an expenditure of €300.2m.
Big departures included the sale of Morgan Rogers to Chelsea for €138m, the sale of Ezri Konsa to Arsenal for €59.6m, the sale of Ollie Watkins to Al Hilal for €58.40m and finally, the sale of Youri Tielemans to Manchester United for €41m. Notably, long time servant and iconic goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, who won two Yashin awards with us, also departed for Chelsea for a fee of €8.75m. Additionally, Lucas Digne joined PSG for €7m, in very good spirit having left in a fantastic manner after serving as a superb professional for our club.
It’s very easy to look at the financial aspect of these transfers, where I actually think we received above value for pretty much all of the sales mentioned, however one thing I noticed was the amount of big players we sold to Premiership rivals. There’s no doubt that Rogers, Tielemans, Konsa and Martinez all had their heads turned as soon as their respective new clubs approached them, but it was a shock to see the club make four fairly significant sales to rival Premier League opponents, who have a fair likelihood of being near us in the league come the end of the campaign.
Overall, in terms of sales, I thought we sold quite well. It wasn’t ideal to lose a whopping SIX players who started in the Europa League final in Istanbul, but thankfully we got hefty fees for them all, barring the two who’s stock was very low due to their age. Mind you, a Premiership club would not have paid anywhere near the fee for Watkins I doubt, so I am thankful for the interest from Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal. These sales truly initiated the beginning of an Unai Emery built Aston Villa team, and could be a landmark in our history. There is no doubt fans will remember for the rest of their time following Villa the year where we won the European Cup and then sold half the team the following summer window.
A very small mention of the sale of Leon Bailey to Olympiacos, who only ever found his feat in very small phases. Some players just aren’t cut out for the Premiership, and unfortunately I think he would’ve been better of staying in Germany. I hope he finds his feet in Greece. On the contrary, the sale of Donyell Malen also came under this window, I won’t even discuss that one, you know my thoughts – what a disaster.
In terms of incomings, another one for the history books. The photo of Unai Emery stood next to his brand new team, undoubtedly sanctioned by the media team to instill confidence into the minds of the fanbase who frequently keep up with the club digitally, is mind-blowing. To think we’ve brought in that many players, and that Unai Emery finally has his team after bringing success with a team made up of signings from Gerrard, Smith and Bruce, is exciting to think about.
Signficant incomings include Johan Manzambi from Freiburg for €60m, Nicolas Jackson from Chelsea for €55.5m, the surprise signing of Ibrahim Mbaye for €55m, the signing of Joao Gomes from geographical rivals Wolves for €40m, the replacement for Emi Martinez – Zion Suzuki for €30m from Parma, the much needed centre-back Taylor Harwood-Bellis for €30m, Matteo Ruggeri from Athletico Madrid for €25m, Cisse from LASK for €5.5m, and the serial winner Leon Goretzka on a free transfer, previously having played for Bayern Munich. Loan incomings also include Alejandro Garnacho and Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
Well, that list speaks for itself. What a summer of signings for the club! Whilst we have had to sell significant players to facilitate a summer window of this magnitude, there is no doubt that Unai Emery has intentionally dragged the average age of the team down significantly, whilst holding onto key players such as our captain John McGinn to maintain the club’s stability. This seems like such a calculated window from Emery and the board, and following a summer of close media attention due to the players we’ve lost, I really think we have something to prove, and that if all of these players reach their full potential at the same time then we really have a squad that can be serious title challengers in years to come.
All I know is that, whether I am alone in this or not, I feel very positively about the direction that this summer window has taken our club in as a whole, and whilst it has generated extensive noise from pundits and media companies across the footballing world, it’s important to note that it will take time for the squad to gel and find their feet, also recognising the fact that we do not have much time playing in the best league in the world.
I cannot single out players I am excited about, because I honestly see something in all of them, but I just can’t wrap my head around the signing of an 18-year-old from PSG for excess fifty million euros – he has to be good, surely?
I am keeping a very positive and patient head on, and I urge the rest of the forum to do so too. Now, to those who are still reading this extensive round-up, I will end on a massive UP THE VILLA!
Bruges away next – can’t see a positive outcome.
Mbaye will start…
We will need a January window like 2 years ago when 3 attackers arrived. We need at least two top quality forwards. Tammy scuppered not getting one by staying. Ask Roma how much Malen is worth. I’m guessing they won’t be quoting 22 million or whatever joke fee they got him for.
How many games does Garnacho need to trigger the obligation for Villa to pull their proverbial pants down? Could we have another Elliot on our hands?
Gorezka ? He’s played in a world class team for years now can’t get in ours must be injured or unfit
Shit result today
Not match fit, I would imagine. Or being saved for Brugges where Barklay won’t play.
Yeah I’m saving my thoughts for at least 5 games in. If there’s one thing Emery does , its price is all wrong more often than not.
We got a point away from home, Suzuki gets his first clean shirt. We still have our major signings to kick a ball yet…
I was thinking that but was going for the negative narrative 😏
Well said Tom – good to see we’re not all ‘grumpy old men’ 😂
With apologies if you’re young and just practicing 😂😂
One thing we know about Emery, is that he doesn’t take risks. He won’t play new signings until they fully understand his style of football. Mbaye said in an interview that he loves to take defenders on. Whereas Garnacho looks either incapable or lacks belief that he can go past a defender, constantly turns and passes back to the fullback. Unfortunately, I don’t think even Emery will get a tune out of him. We have moved Bailey on and find ourselves stuck with another drain on the club resources. Am I being harsh? I don’t think so, and only time will tell. We might as well have kept Sancho, or signed Grealish on loan, but we know this is a SCR driven transfer.
And not the only one either!
Were the owners / club caught completely unawares by the mass exodus?
I would most definitely prefer Grealish over Garnacho. Much cheaper, too.
Hitch, I’ve had it my friend, that’s not football is it, football in earlier days was played to show skills with a ball, them players are shown how not to play football. You me and anyone can play like that in days gone by, just get rid of the ball. I’ve got to the stage like Badger walk away and sod it, Clubs today can block anyone from scoring a goal like yesterdays match, I now think Unai running away with himself and not focusing on winning games in a way where it’s entertaining and not boring like yesterday. So I’ve got another project down south in Cornwall to fill in my days so that’s my aim from today. Good luck to all the lads.
Enjoy Cornwall Bill – will miss you on here.
Christ!!! Maybe you lot are getting to old and the dementia is kicking in! This time last season we did the exact same and Emery turns it round, he’s had poor runs of 4 or 5 games without a win and turns it round. Emery is the master of learning from his team and making tweaks. It’s like anything in life surely? You don’t come along to something new, instantly replace or change things you do not yet understand? It’s basic science is it not? Study and Learn. I’m glad Emery didn’t chuck them all in , I couldn’t think of a worse outcome than Mbaye, Jackson, Suzuki, Reggeri and AWB leaving that pitch last night having been beaten by Hull. At that point we have gone backwards. Emerys current 11 is the closest thing he knows to reliable right now and he knows pretty well what it should produce. Please please please let’s all remember the story with Emery, he knows more than us, he’s very clear in what he wants and he delivers!! I agree it’s frustrating, the big 6 have a 2 game head start on us because they absolutely do not have to worry about having enough players to field a competitive starting 11. Some mid table teams haven’t had as much disruption because they don’t have players that interest people. Is this not all just common sense? Nothing in football is guaranteed so the next best thing is data and history, the last 4 seasons have all resulted in European finishes, 2 being champions league and one resulting in yet another Europa league trophy for Unai.
Not dementia Tom; it’s a ‘it was always better in the olden days’ sort of thing.
Bill wasn’t knocking Emery in any way – he’s just had enough of how modern football is played – Badger feels the same as do I. My wife used to join me at Villa Park or watch football with me but she won’t now. Hates the blatant cheating (now called dark arts) as she sees it.
Last game we watched together was a recent re-run of the WC Final in 1966 which we both enjoyed – not because we won (I watched it live on a tiny black & white TV and went to see the film at the local flea pit and remember being surprised seeing the game in colour) but because it was how football was played and should be played.
If you’ve never seen it, have a watch you’ll be surprised!
Hitch, I was going to reply to
Tom but you did it in a nice way, correct Hitch, I ran two teams from a club in the Festival league in fact started it and took teams to Belgium for games, in them days it was a pleasure to show your footballing skills but today it’s a boring display, I personally think a team needs to allow two midfield player to run free in a match and use their skills. But today’s football is a drawing-board game and ties players up. Ok it’s only my thinking but football’s gone from entertaining to boring and it’s shite because even I know where they put the ball. Tom, thank god I’m not at the stage of Alzheimer’s far from it but close to 90 years and even you’d be surprised what I’ve achieved up till then. Again, I will pop in but I’ve decided to do Badger because I know how he felt .
Well said Bill.
I’m just a few years behind you but hope I’m still around in a few years time.
Make sure you do keep popping in, Bill! You views are valued here!
Onana signs a new contract till 2031. I wonder if we should have added a 50% cut in wages when he is injured. Whatever, we do miss him when he playing well.
If the club think that buys loyalty because they’ve clearly looked after him when he’s in serious bother, they will be sadly disappointed. He’ll be angling for a move as soon as he’s fit enough. I hope they put a huge release clause in the contract.
Bill. If you do go then I wish you well as I am sure we all do. I will be looking for a new member called Jethro in the next few weeks.
A very funny man Jethro – met him in Cornwall years before he became well known.
Went to see him at at the NEC with Carrot for one of Carrot’s Christmas shows raising money for charity. Extremely rude and side splittingly funny.
Villa squad for CL
https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/clubs/52683–aston-villa/squad/
Can Gomes play or does his suspension cover CL games as well?
Apart from the Garnacho signing, I have been reasonably impressed with the transfer window. If I had one gripe about the outgoings, it’s the fact that we caved in to player pressure. We couldn’t do nothing with regards to Tielemans and Digne as the buy out clause was activated to allow negotiations. Manure and PSG were always going to get their wish. Rogers for £117m was the amount that sorted our SCR woes in one go. The extra £43m for Tielemans and Digne was enough to allow us to invest in the squad. Konsa and Watkins however, we should have played hardball. We might have got £106m combined, but the replacements are inadequate for an immediate rebuild. Jackson doesn’t work the defenders in the same way Watkins does and we clearly haven’t got a quality defender to replace Konsa. Harwood-Bellis not even in the squad yesterday! Madjo it seems isn’t going to get in front of Jackson anytime soon, even though he’s probably a more prolific goalscorer.
I think we need to lower our expectations this season. A mid table finish in the league right now seems hopeful rather than likely, and to get out of the league phase of the CL would offer extra revenue.
I really believe that this is the first time in a long time that Emery will fail to qualify for Europe. He might decide to move on next summer if that’s the case. Hopefully he will still see us as a project in transition if it proves to be the case.
Holte – I don’t buy the media rhetoric re Emery leaving.
However of he gets an offer he likes, history says he might take it but only if he believes(a) there is nothing further he can achieve at Villa and (b) it offers him a better route to achieving his ambitions.
Oh Hitch! ‘Hates the blatant cheating (now called dark arts) as she sees it.’
Forgotten the likes of Norman Hunter, Bremner, Stiles etc. where a ‘reducer’ was just part of the game (def. a ‘reducer’ is a tackle that would see a modern day player get at least a 3 match ban if not more and often meant broken legs and ankles). I well remember Stan Lynn reducing many wingers and we all cheered.
The game is probably the cleanest it’s ever been and , yes, I do think that the dark arts are part of the game too, so long as no-one’s leg gets broken.
Each to their own 1874 😂 but I think my wife has a fair point.
Yes I do remember those players but the game was less complicated and the football more enjoyable. There was no shirt pulling, standing on the GK’s head or rolling around on the ground pretending to be hurt.
There were also muddy pitches and hard men playing the game hard and, by and large, it was exciting, attacking end to end football. Not that I’m necessarily suggesting we should return to muddy pitches 😄
I’d also like to see statistics that show that serious injuries were any greater then, than they are in the modern game. There are still ‘hard’ physical players and teams in the modern game, players still get broken bones and the number of ACL injuries seem disproportionately higher to me.
Players also did get sent off – the card system was initially introduced, after the 1966 World Cup to avoid misunderstandings caused by language differences in international games (famously following the scenes when Ratin was sent off in the QF).
As you can probably tell I don’t particularly enjoy the modern game which is by and large sterile and boring – players earn far too much money, the transfer system’s corrupt as are the financial regs that protect a few select clubs. Add VAR and the game’s being killed as a spectacle.
But it is what it is and Villa are my club and have been for nearly 70 years so, no matter how I feel, I still follow them – it’s a form of addiction 😱😄
So Goretzka is injured till after the injury break. He joins the never ending list of crocks that we have signed, sigh! You couldn’t make it up. 😩
I don’t think he was ever fit. Too much time away and over 30 makes it much harder to get back to elite levels. He has posted stating that his body has “reacted” to the work load. I hope I’m wrong but it wouldn’t surprise me if he contributes nothing and leaves before the end of the season. An elite Danny Drinkwater, if you like. Time will tell…
Meanwhile, did anyone see Harvey Barnes’ world class goal cutting in from the left at the weekend? Drop of the shoulder, and a curling rocket into the top corner. There’s no way Garnacho is producing anything like that. 45 million? My advice would be save it and put it aside for a 50 + bid for Barnes. Always guarantees you goals and assists. And comes across as a good lad, very much in the Watkins mould, demeanor wise. In fact, the opposite to Garnacho. If Unai has any doubts, he should play it the same way as Elliot. Villa simply can’t afford a 45 million flop on a long fat contract. They simply can’t. The reputation will make him impossible to shift. And as he’s Unai’s choice (allegedly), it would do a bit of damage to his reputation, too.
Harvey Barnes. Can’t go wrong.
He’s 29 in December so no doubt would cost significantly less than Garnacho. I’d imagine Villa could get him for 30ish. So there’d be money left over, too. Garnacho just seems far far too risky for the money quoted. If the club’s not tied in to a permanent buy, I hope they keep their options open until well after the New Year. I just hope they didn’t agree a stupid swap for Rogers with Jackson. If they did, we can safely say they’ve been taken to the proverbial cleaners, but only after having had their proverbial pants pulled down!
We have definitely had our pants pulled down with Garnacho. Emery can’t keep taking ex Manure bomb squad players and turn them into elite level. When you look back at the managers who have left Old Trafford over the last few seasons, it can’t all be coincidence that there were a few who were uncoachable (if that’s a word) Unfortunately, I think Garnacho’s few minutes as substitute in the first few games probably counts the same as if he had started.
I agree that IF there’s a chance to do the same as Elliott last season to avoid triggering the full deal, we need to take that option. We can use Hemmings, Mbaye or even Maatsen as left sided options till January.
Gomes is available tomorrow which is a big plus.
Goretzka would have been on the bench anyway – Reading between the lines he may have pushed himself too hard but I don’t agree that at 31 he’s ’over the hill’ and can’t get fit. I do agree that he missed pre- season though and trying to catch up is difficult at any age.
We won’t really see the full squad available until after the IB but that, imho, has always been the case,
Going to be tough tomorrow – a draw woukd be an excellent result.
UTMV