It will be fascinating to see how Aston Villa handle the remaining six weeks of the summer transfer window.
With eyes firmly on regaining their place in the Champions League for 2026-27, Villa boss Unai Emery and his key lieutenants are showing no desire to encourage interest in their exciting forward Morgan Rogers.
But they cannot spend freely. They have to be careful to stay in line with both Premier League and UEFA spending rules and probably need to make sales before they can reinvest.
It has been clear throughout the summer that Villa will listen to offers for goalkeeper Emi Martinez and that the World Cup winner is open to a new challenge, but there has yet to be a formal offer for the Argentinian from a prominent European team – as is believed to be the case for Rogers, who would carry an extremely high price tag if the club were open to selling.
Here Mail Sport examines the strength of Villa’s hand – and which cards they may play over the coming weeks.
Aston Villa are adamant that Morgan Rogers is not for sale – but that has not put off potential suitors
Will Villa sign a new forward?
Ever since Jhon Duran was sold to Al Nassr in January, Villa have been on the lookout for a young No 9 who could lead their attack for years to come. The tricky part is actually finding one, especially with Ollie Watkins turning 30 this year and still on the radar of Premier League rivals.
Nicolas Jackson has been linked persistently with Villa but as things stand, Mail Sport understands the Chelsea forward is not a priority, even though he has been admired by Unai Emery ever since the pair worked together at Villarreal.
As our Chelsea reporter Kieran Gill has explained, Jackson’s price has been set extremely high by the Blues, at around the £100million mark. And though £60m may be enough to do a deal, there is still no guarantee Villa would change their stance.
What of Watkins? The England forward wanted to join boyhood club Arsenal last winter but the club would not sell both him and Duran in the same window. In Mail Sport’s Transfer Confidential column, Simon Jones revealed Liverpool had previously checked on Watkins, before they moved on to Hugo Ekitike.
Keep an eye on both Manchester United and Arsenal, though, especially if the Gunners’ move for Viktor Gyokeres does not go through – though it is hard to imagine Villa selling without a replacement lined up.
Unai Emery and Nicolas Jackson (right) have been close since their days at Villarreal
Manchester United cannot be discounted from the race to sign Ollie WatkinsÂ
Were there discussions about bringing back Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio?
Villa were very happy with Rashford’s performances following his arrival on loan in February and would have been interested in a season-long loan. But their failure to qualify for the Champions League was a setback and in the end, Rashford’s heart was set on Barcelona, as long as the LaLiga champions could reach an agreement with Manchester United.
But remember the deal is only a loan with an option to buy. If Barcelona are unhappy with their investment, Rashford will be back where he started in 12 months’ time, and Villa may become an option once more, especially if they return to Europe’s top club competition.
While Asensio’s numbers at Villa were impressive – eight goals at a rate of better than a goal every 140 minutes – the Spaniard would have commanded very high wages which would have been a challenge for any club without Champions League football.Â
The Spaniard was also more impressive off the bench for Villa than when he started matches. That is fine for a loan player, but a permanent signing on a hefty contract needs to be in the starting XI more often than not. Asensio now appears set to join Fenerbahce from Paris Saint-Germain.
Marco Asensio and Marcus Rashford were both hugely impressive for Villa on loan last season
Where do Villa stand on Morgan Rogers?
Villa’s position has been solid throughout the window: the 22-year-old is not for sale. He is under contract for five more years and Villa expect him to be a central figure in their short-and-medium-term plans.
However, do not rule out a further contract extension for Rogers in the coming months. Though it is not an immediate priority, Mail Sport understands Villa are open to rewarding Rogers again for his outstanding performances last term.
Since extending his deal last November, Rogers has become even more important for Villa, scoring 14 goals and producing 15 assists in all competitions to force his way into the senior England squad.
Chelsea are continuing to monitor Morgan Rogers’ situation, with Villa outside the Champions League this season
Villa are pushing to agree a new deal with midfielder Boubacar Kamara (pictured centre)
His displays were so impressive that he drew the attention of top clubs across Europe, with Chelsea continuing to monitor developments. If he maintains his progress, Rogers will be a Champions League player again. Villa intend it to be with them.
Since Unai Emery took charge in 2022, the club have always been prepared to reward strong performances, with nearly all key players given new deals with improved salaries during his tenure. Another new deal would also signal to clubs circling Rogers that he remains central to Villa’s plans.
Villa are also hopeful of agreeing fresh terms with key midfielder Boubacar Kamara, whose contract has two years to run. When fit, Kamara is arguably Emery’s most important player and his free signing from Marseille in summer 2022 remains one of Villa’s smartest transfers of recent times.
Will Emi Martinez stay?
It feels a heck of a long time since an emotional Martinez left the pitch after Villa’s final home game of the season, which many interpreted as a sign he would be leaving the club this summer.
What is clear is that the goalkeeper is keen for a new challenge and his representatives have been active in trying to find him a new club. There were discussions about the possibility of the World Cup winner joining his fellow Argentinian Diego Simeone at Atletico Madrid, but unless Jan Oblak leaves Spain there can be no deal for Martinez.Â
It feels a heck of a long time since an emotional Emi Martinez left the pitch after Villa’s final home game of the season
The 32-year-old does not appear keen on a move to the Saudi Pro League. At this stage of the window, there appears to be no interest from Chelsea about taking him and Mail Sport understands that there is no automatic release clause in the contract Martinez signed less than a year ago.
Manchester United is one route that remains open though Villa are not willing at this stage to sell for a knockdown price. Keep an eye on Martinez’s compatriot Alejandro Garnacho, who is no longer wanted by United but would fit the profile of the versatile attacker Emery wants.
What is the likely future for Jacob Ramsey?
Villa have been open to selling their homegrown midfielder all summer but nobody has yet bitten at the price they are looking for, which has been around £40m.Â
Nottingham Forest were the latest to express an interest but it should not be discounted that Ramsey may end up signing a new contract with Villa. His deal expires in the summer of 2027 and renewing it now would allow the club to protect his value as he comes closer to the end of his deal.
Ramsey is also well-liked and regarded by the rest of the squad, who appreciate his versatility and dynamic style of play. Despite his injury issues, Ramsey is also valued highly by Emery. But in the world of PSR, selling homegrown players means pure bookable profit.
What about Villa’s under-the-radar transfer activity?
Villa may not have made any headline signings yet but their work with younger players looks very smart.
A trio of 19-year-olds in Zepiqueno Redmond, Yasin Ozcan and Modou Keba Cisse were all identified long ago, and Villa were close to signing Norwegian jewel Sverre Nypan from Rosenborg, only to lose out to Manchester City. Either the three young signings will be part of the Villa teams of the future, or they will be fringe members of the squad and ultimately sold, delivering a profit for Villa.
Dutch youth international Zepiqueno Redmond (right) has joined Villa from Feyenoord
Yasin Ozcan joined from Kasimpasa in Turkey and has already featured in pre-season
In some ways, Villa have become victims of the success they have enjoyed under Emery. They reached the Champions League in his first full season and did impressively to reach the quarter-finals. To try to stay there, they spent big on wages, which remain at a high percentage of turnover.Â
Villa’s president of football operations Monchi has said the club’s best revenue-generator is the sale of players but this cannot remain the case indefinitely, if they want to continue to challenge. That is why the club will not close the door on naming rights partners for either the stadium or training ground, and why they continue to improve the area around Villa Park.
What is Lucas Digne’s involvement likely to be this season?
Digne is an interesting one. Emery adores the Frenchman, both for what he can produce on the pitch and his attitude off it. Digne has been known to return to training after international breaks before he is scheduled to – which Emery loves.
Lucas Digne is in a predicament at Villa, who are trying to lower the average age of their squad
Yet Villa are trying to reduce the average age of their squad and Ian Maatsen may begin the season as first-choice left back. Digne has also drawn interest from Atletico Madrid, though this has not developed into a firm bid.
Digne has only one more year left on his contract and there have been initial, informal discussions about prolonging it.
Villa must, however, be alive to selling opportunities and if there is an offer for a highly paid 32-year-old left back, they would be foolish not to look at it.
