In the aftermath of ending a 30-year wait and qualifying for the Champions League once again, Aston Villa were rocked by player departures and injuries, forcing an unexpected rebuild.
Villa’s metronomic midfielder maestro Youri Tielemans, who Unai Emery once called his son, has joined Manchester United for £35m.
Chelsea have agreed a record £117m deal to sign Morgan Rodgers and Amadou Onana is expected to miss the season before the ball is even kicked after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament during the World Cup away trip to Belgium.
Use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Take a look at the best goals Morgan Rodgers has scored during the 2025/26 Premier League season.
The exit doesn’t stop there either. Lucas Digne, 32, also appears ready to leave, with Paris Saint-Germain ready to trigger the £8.5m release clause inserted into his contract.
Four players who made a total of 172 appearances for Villa last season have now left four holes in the heart of Emery’s side.
A turbulent summer has begun. sky sports Analyze everything…
Is this a nightmare window or a much-needed rebuild?
Any sale would cause panic, but Villa’s situation is unique given the caliber of players they are losing.
Rogers achieved hero status at Villa Park. Since joining from Middlesbrough in January 2024, he has developed from a young prospect into a full-fledged England international capable of delivering a powerful style on the Premier League stage.
Villa knew Europe’s elite were circling and could not turn down a £117m offer that was set to break Elliott Anderson’s British record transfer to Manchester City.
Undoubtedly one of the standout talents in English football, he could be replaced after scoring 14 goals in 55 games last season. His sale would benefit Emery, especially considering his financial growth.
But Tielemans’ departure will be painful. The midfielder has been integral to their style of play, providing calmness on the ball and an innate ability to unlock defenses with vision and passing ability that make them hard to replace. Without him, Villa’s win percentage drops from 53% to 41%.
The club did not want to sell after keeping the core of their Europa League winning team together and it was always preferred for Tielemans and Rogers to score on that famous night in Istanbul. But rather than fine-tune their squad this summer, their hands will now turn to rebuilding.
Who is Villa recruiting?
They had the second-highest average age at the top of the table at 28 last season, and the change in recruiting practices has already been noticeable.
Villa are entering a new era under Emery and, although it has arrived under unfortunate circumstances, the early signs are already exciting.
Anticipating Rodgers’ exit, they pressed ahead with Newcastle’s deal for Freiburg midfielder Johan Manzambi and have now completed a club-record £59.5m move to sign the promising 20-year-old.
Aston Villa have signed Johan Manzambi from Freiburg.
He played for Switzerland at the World Cup, scoring two goals and adding two assists before suffering an injury in a 3-1 loss to Argentina in the quarterfinals.
“Now we have a diamond in our attack: a street footballer, the type of player who needs freedom.” Former Freiburg and Switzerland player Bruno Werner said: sky sports Regarding Manjambi. “We can use him flexibly and use him more defensively in midfield, but we can also use him on the wing.”
Use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Take a look at Johan Manzambi’s five best moments for Freiburg in the Bundesliga. The 20-year-old became the youngest player to score five goals in a World Cup since records began in 1966.
A tantalizing prospect given Emery’s penchant for getting the best out of players, especially those as flexible as the new 20-year-old “diamond”.
Villa have also sealed a £38m deal to sign Joao Gomes, 25, from Wolves and are competing to sign Joao Palhinha on loan as the building blocks of a new-look midfield are now coming together.
Manzambi and Joao Gomez bring vitality to an aging squad. Palhinha’s arrival will add top-flight experience and significant leadership to the ranks.
Consider the possibility of Boubacar Kamara, who has been sidelined since January with a knee injury, back in the number 8 shirt once worn by Tielemans. You have the engine room to compete on all fronts.
The rapid and efficient business unfolding in the second city indicates a team prepared for upheaval, not a team in panic.
Digne has put in solid performances since joining from Everton in 2022, but with his 33rd birthday approaching and Ian Maatsen waiting in the wings, a move represents the best outcome for both sides.
Former Brighton left-back Pervis Estupinan is also a worthy replacement. Sky in Italy can reveal that negotiations are underway to bring the AC Milan defender, who worked with Emery at Villarreal, back to the Premier League.
Meanwhile, Rodgers’ departure leaves a huge gap going forward.
Armed with the significant fee the club will receive and a better squad than when Jack Grealish moved to Manchester City in similar circumstances for £100m, Villa are preparing to strengthen and a move for the winger is said to be accelerating.
Selling the best talent in your squad can never be considered a blessing, but in these special circumstances, it shouldn’t be seen as a curse either.
Unai Emery clashes with Youri Tielemans during Aston Villa’s Europa League win over Fenerbahce
Emery has never shied away from a challenge…
Emery is adept at weathering these types of storms and has a proven track record of handling blows of this nature.
Tielemans and Rogers are just the latest names he needs to replace. Jacob Ramsey, Jhon Duran, Moussa Diaby and Douglas Luiz all left, leading to hysteria over their replacements.
But with Emery, the man who guided Villa’s rise from the brink of relegation to that famous night in Istanbul when they won the Europa League title, the club has a calm figure at the helm who will work tirelessly to find a solution.
Aston Villa players celebrate winning the Europa League.
His team went scoreless in their first four Premier League games last season, with their first effort in the league coming in a 1–1 draw with Sunderland on 21 September.
During that time, even his confidence was shaken as he sat the team down and admitted his concerns. But they went from the gloom of a disastrous start to the joy of ending the club’s trophy drought to bookmark the campaign.
Emery has never shied away from a challenge and replacing Tielemans and Rodgers is the latest. The focus will be entirely on ensuring Villa build on their recent successes rather than recalling their success in the coming years.
Unai Emery kisses the Europa League trophy after Aston Villa’s win
Your opinion!
Daz: No player is bigger than the club. If Rogers wants to go, bye! But £117 million seems low. £130m would be appropriate. But the club knows how much they value him. Chelsea seems like a strange choice outside of Europe? At Unai, we believe!
Stuart: We had an aging squad and desperately needed additions. Losing Tielemans is a huge blow. Emery will find the right player. Rogers performed poorly last season and could be replaced. You will need a left-back, a midfielder and at least two wingers. I want Summerville and Rashford.
Matt C: Emery should have the final say on the transfer. So if he approves, trust the man who brought us European football.
WowJ: Reconstruction was always inevitable. This team is aging and probably needs a shake-up after years of careful guidance from Emery. He took a number of players and achieved the trophies the club demanded from him. Becoming a perennial Champions League club will be the next goal.
GAVFC: I am very optimistic about these changes because I believe Unai can maintain our competitiveness. Tielemans and Rodgers are perfect players to sell due to their salaries and Rodgers’ transfer fee. UTVs.
fountain: We have the oldest squad in the league and very highly paid players. A rebuild is needed and there is no better time than now with Champions League football next season. Rogers was so hot and cold. £117m is a very good business for us.
