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Is Garnacho already a £42.5m signing?
Villa took him on loan with a conditional obligation to buy. Whether that £42.5m is already sitting on the club’s books is decided by two words in a UEFA annex, and nobody outside Bodymoor Heath knows the answer.
Villa's £10m 17-year-old scored in every pre-season game he appeared in. Until this morning he wasn't allowed to play in one that counted.
News Archive
Everything that has appeared in Latest News, kept for the record — newest first. The ten most recent stories live on the front page.
August 2026
Aston Villa confirmed on August 30th that Emiliano Martínez has completed a permanent transfer to Chelsea for £7.5m, BirminghamLive reporting the same fee, ending a six-year Villa Park stay that began with his 2020 arrival from Arsenal. Martínez made 255 appearances across all competitions, won the UEFA Europa League with Villa in May, and established himself as Argentina's undisputed number one during his time at the club, lifting the 2022 World Cup and two Copa América titles. Villa's own statement said he "leaves Aston Villa with the very best wishes of everyone at the football club." Zion Suzuki, signed from Parma on August 19th, is now Unai Emery's first-choice goalkeeper, with Marco Bizot as back-up.
Source: Aston Villa FC (official); BirminghamLiveAston Villa's interest in Jean-Clair Todibo is over after the West Ham centre-back agreed to join RC Lens on loan instead, French journalist Fabrice Hawkins reported for RMC Sport on August 30th, with Todibo already undergoing his medical in France. Villa had opened talks with West Ham on August 27th after their pursuit of Joel Ordóñez collapsed, but never advanced to a fee or structure; Marseille also held a verbal agreement with the Frenchman but could not proceed because they had not yet sold enough players to fund it. Taylor Harwood-Bellis remains Villa's lead centre-back target, with the club and Southampton around £4m apart on valuation.
Source: Fabrice Hawkins (RMC Sport), via Get French Football News and Le PhocéenOllie Watkins has completed his move to Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal from Aston Villa for £51m on a three-year deal, the club and BBC Sport confirmed on August 30th. Villa's record Premier League scorer with 91 goals in six years, Watkins made himself unavailable for the August 23rd Brighton defeat and apologised to Unai Emery, who said he had "small tears" saying goodbye to a player he called "fantastic." Watkins joins Crysencio Summerville at Al-Hilal; Nicolas Jackson, signed from Chelsea on August 28th, replaces him at Villa Park.
Source: BBC Sport; avfc.co.ukAston Villa and Southampton have agreed a £30m package including add-ons for centre-back Taylor Harwood-Bellis, with his medical now scheduled, Florian Plettenberg reported for Sky Sport Germany on August 30th. David Ornstein and Jacob Tanswell reported the deal structure is in place with work ongoing to conclude it, and Fabrizio Romano said personal terms and a long-term contract are agreed. Villa had gone back in for the 24-year-old after their pursuit of Joel Ordóñez collapsed, with an opening £18m bid rejected on August 20th and an improved £24m bid rejected on August 23rd.
Source: Florian Plettenberg (Sky Sport DE); David Ornstein, Jacob Tanswell (The Athletic); Fabrizio RomanoTriston Rowe travelled to Belgium on August 30th to finalise a season-long loan to Royal Charleroi Sporting Club, Jacob Tanswell reported for The Athletic, with a medical to follow if things go as planned. The 19-year-old right-back, who spent last season on loan at Ligue 2 side Annecy, had drawn interest from Stoke City and Brest earlier in the window before Charleroi emerged as his destination.
Source: Jacob Tanswell (The Athletic)Sevilla have begun negotiations to sign Leon Bailey on loan before Tuesday's deadline, Sacha Tavolieri reported on August 30th, with Saudi side Al Diriyah also interested. Any loan would come with a contract extension attached, taking Bailey beyond his current 2027 expiry, so Villa avoid losing him for nothing next summer; Fabrizio Romano had named Sevilla among three clubs, alongside Hull City and Al Diriyah, asking Villa for conditions to sign the winger. Villa's need to move him on has sharpened now Ibrahim Mbaye's arrival leaves no space in the wide areas Bailey occupies, and no agreement between the clubs is yet in place.
Source: Sacha Tavolieri (X), via TheHardTackle; Fabrizio Romano (X)Villa's League Phase schedule is out. They open away at Club Brugge on September 8th, then host Fenerbahçe and Viking in October before a first blockbuster trip, to Barcelona, on November 3rd. Galatasaray away on November 24th follows, then Paris Saint-Germain visit Villa Park on December 8th and Borussia Dortmund on January 19th, with the campaign closing away at Slavia Prague on January 27th.
Source: Read Aston Villa (via Sky Sports and the club's own confirmation)Fabrizio Romano reported on August 29th that Leon Bailey is expected to leave Aston Villa before Tuesday's deadline, with negotiations ongoing after several clubs -- Al Diriyah, Hull City, and Sevilla among them -- asked Villa for conditions to sign the winger. It is the first reporting to name Al Diriyah or Sevilla, and comes a day after Unai Emery said a second attempted Hull move had fallen through. Bailey has a year left on his contract, and wages of around £120,000 a week have been the obstacle in every conversation about him this summer.
Source: Fabrizio Romano (X)Ibrahim Mbaye completed his Aston Villa medical on August 29th, Read Aston Villa's James Chettle reported, with the 18-year-old winger's €55m move from Paris Saint-Germain now down to signing his contract and a formal club announcement. Fabrizio Romano had reported earlier the same day that the deal completes Sunday August 30th, with travel authorisation confirmed; Le Parisien's Benjamin Quarez said Mbaye arrived in Birmingham on Saturday having given Villa the green light. He is expected to sign a five-year contract with a Villa option for a further season, and could debut against Hull City next weekend.
Source: Read Aston Villa (James Chettle); Fabrizio Romano (X); Le Parisien (Benjamin Quarez)Ollie Watkins is expected to arrive in Riyadh on Friday evening as his €58.4m-plus-add-ons move to Al-Hilal moves towards completion, with a medical to follow over the weekend. Fabrizio Romano confirmed the travel on X, and Read Aston Villa reported, via The National, that Watkins could even be available for Al-Hilal's Saudi Pro League fixture against Al-Ahli on Tuesday if the formalities are completed in time. Villa accepted Al-Hilal's offer on August 26th after Watkins turned down a new contract and asked to leave.
Source: Fabrizio Romano (X); Read Aston Villa (James Chettle), via The NationalIn his pre-Arsenal press conference, Unai Emery confirmed for the first time that Ollie Watkins deliberately ruled himself out of the Brighton & Hove Albion defeat on August 23rd rather than being managed for fitness: Watkins apologised to Emery and his teammates afterwards, admitting "he made a mistake and that he was wrong." Emery said he embraced Watkins with "a huge hug and a small tear" as the striker's £50m move to Al-Hilal nears completion, calling it "a new chapter" with Nicolas Jackson, who was registered in time to face Arsenal on Monday despite Villa still awaiting a formal club announcement on the deal, worth up to £65m from Chelsea. Emery also said Leon Goretzka, signed on a free transfer from Bayern Munich, arrived "fit" and could make his Villa debut against the champions.
Source: BirminghamLive (via The Overlap); The Guardian (Ben Fisher and Jacob Steinberg); Read Aston Villa (James Chettle)Aston Villa's pursuit of Rafael Leão appeared to collapse on August 28th as Galatasaray moved to complete a deal for the winger. Fabrizio Romano reported Galatasaray were closing in on an agreement after receiving the player's initial green light, with Villa still in contact but losing ground; Florian Plettenberg said the Turkish club were confident they had won the race unless Villa raised their offer again within minutes. Football Italia, citing Sky Sport Italia, Sportitalia and Sport Mediaset, reported Leão had made his decision for Galatasaray over Villa's higher wage offer, and could fly for a medical within 24 hours. Villa's loan-plus-obligation offer was not reported withdrawn.
Source: Fabrizio Romano (X); Florian Plettenberg (X); Football Italia; Read Aston Villa (James Chettle)Emiliano Martínez arrived in London on August 28th to complete his medical and sign a contract with Chelsea, Fabrizio Romano reported, the day after Sky Sports, David Ornstein and Romano confirmed Villa and Chelsea had agreed a £7.5m fee. The Argentina World Cup winner is expected to sign until June 2028 with a Chelsea option for a further season. Zion Suzuki's arrival at Villa Park already installed Martínez's successor as Emery's first-choice goalkeeper; Chelsea moved after Robert Sánchez's error in the win at Fulham reopened questions in their own goal.
Source: Fabrizio Romano (X); CaughtOffside (Ahad Shaukat)Rafael Leão's move to Aston Villa collapsed for good on August 28th as Fabrizio Romano declared ‘here we go’ for a transfer to Galatasaray instead. Romano reported a deal agreed with AC Milan and the player's camp worth more than €45m, with Leão due in Istanbul this weekend for a medical; Turkish insider Yağız Sabuncuoğlu said personal terms were also settled, around €12m a year. Villa's own offer, a loan with an €8m fee and €42m obligation or an alternative €46m permanent deal, was not enough to change his mind after Florian Plettenberg reported Galatasaray were ‘confident they may have won the race’ hours earlier.
Source: Fabrizio Romano (X); Yağız Sabuncuoğlu (X); Florian Plettenberg (X)Emiliano Martínez's move to Chelsea reached its final step on August 28th when Fabrizio Romano reported that all documents had been signed by both clubs for the £7.5m permanent transfer. The move follows Martínez's medical in London earlier the same day; he is expected to sign a two-year contract to June 2028 with a Chelsea option for a further season. Only a formal club announcement now remains outstanding, with Zion Suzuki's arrival at Villa Park already installing his successor as Emery's No. 1 goalkeeper.
Source: Fabrizio Romano (X)Aston Villa have reached an agreement in principle with Paris Saint-Germain to sign 18-year-old winger Ibrahim Mbaye for around €55m, David Ornstein reported on August 28th, with the transfer now being finalised. Fabrizio Romano said negotiations were at their final stages, and Jacob Tanswell reported Villa were completing the deal for a long-standing target. The relationship between Villa chairman Nassef Sawiris and PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi is understood to have helped broker the move, a reversal from mid-August reporting that Mbaye had agreed personal terms with Liverpool, who have since stepped away from the deal.
Source: David Ornstein (X); Fabrizio Romano (X); Jacob Tanswell (X)Aston Villa confirmed the signing of Nicolas Jackson from Chelsea on August 28th for £47.5m, rising to £65m with add-ons, ending a chase that dated back to Unai Emery's arrival. Jackson, who worked under Emery at Villarreal, gave his first comments on Villa TV: "I am very happy that I am here finally. I am ready to work... I fight for the badge and fight for the coach." He replaces Ollie Watkins, whose own move to Al-Hilal is progressing in parallel, and reunites with former Villarreal teammates Ian Maatsen and Pau Torres as well as fellow new arrival Leon Goretzka. The Senegal international scored 30 goals in 81 Chelsea appearances before a season-long loan at Bayern Munich, where he won the Bundesliga.
Source: BirminghamLive; Aston Villa (Villa TV)Aston Villa are hopeful Ibrahim Mbaye will travel on August 29th to complete his medical, Jacob Tanswell reported for The Athletic on the afternoon of August 28th with David Ornstein, advancing the €55m agreement in principle reached with Paris Saint-Germain earlier the same day. Tanswell separately clarified that Villa never made a formal offer to AC Milan for Rafael Leão, closing that story out cleanly as the club's attention turns to completing the Mbaye deal alongside Nicolas Jackson's.
Source: Jacob Tanswell (The Athletic); David Ornstein (The Athletic)Unai Emery said on August 28th that Aston Villa are still hoping Leon Bailey leaves before Tuesday's transfer deadline, after a proposed move to Hull City fell through for a second time having appeared revived. "We were expecting him to leave," Emery said. "When we left for Asia, he was close to leaving, but he is still with us now. Hopefully he can get a good opportunity to leave and join another club and continue his career, and this is our objective." Ajax remain among the clubs credited with earlier interest in Bailey, though no move has advanced. The winger has been frozen out of Emery's first-team plans this summer, with wages of around £120,000 a week the recurring obstacle to any exit.
Source: BirminghamLive; Jacob Tanswell (The Athletic, via X)Aston Villa remain in talks over a loan-with-obligation deal for Rafael Leão, The Athletic's Jacob Tanswell reported on the evening of August 26th, with Villa believing the Portugal winger's own preference is a move to Villa Park despite Galatasaray's interest. Hours later, Fabrizio Romano reported that AC Milan and Galatasaray have verbally agreed a club-to-club fee worth €45m plus add-ons, with further details to be finalised on Thursday, but Romano said the decision now rests with Leão alone: accept Galatasaray's approach or wait for Villa. Villa's own indicative offer to Milan, confirmed by David Ornstein on August 25th, has not been reported withdrawn.
Source: Jacob Tanswell (The Athletic); Fabrizio Romano (X)Ipswich Town have reached a club-to-club agreement with Villa for a straight loan of Abraham, Fabrizio Romano reported, with the Championship side offering him the No. 9 shirt while he weighs the move; Villa are ready to loan him out with Nicolas Jackson closing in as his replacement.
Source: Fabrizio Romano (X)Jackson passed through his medical on August 27th with Chelsea's green light, Florian Plettenberg reported, though personal terms were still being finalised after talks ran until 2am; Villa are targeting his availability for Monday's visit of Arsenal.
Source: Florian Plettenberg (Sky Sport Deutschland)Villa's captain said the club has resisted wholesale change for its own sake despite five of last season's Europa League final starters departing, telling The Overlap's Stick to Football podcast that trading sustainably is what keeps "Aston Villa going on" beyond his and Unai Emery's time at the club.
Source: BirminghamLive, via The Overlap's Stick to FootballLeon Goretzka has signed for Aston Villa on a free transfer after leaving Bayern Munich this summer, completing a move Fabrizio Romano gave his "here we go" to on August 22nd and Florian Plettenberg reported as a done deal on August 23rd. The 31-year-old Germany international takes the No. 27 shirt on a contract reported as two years plus a one-year option, addressing the midfield gap left by Amadou Onana's long-term knee injury and João Gomes's suspension.
Source: Fabrizio Romano; Florian Plettenberg (Sky Sport Deutschland)Chelsea have agreed a £7.5m fee with Aston Villa to sign Emiliano Martínez, Sky Sports reported on August 27th, with David Ornstein and Fabrizio Romano both confirming the agreement. The World Cup-winning goalkeeper was displaced as Villa's No. 1 by Zion Suzuki's arrival from Parma; personal terms and a medical remain outstanding.
Source: Sky Sports; David Ornstein; Fabrizio RomanoNicolas Jackson has completed his medical and signed his Aston Villa contract, Fabrizio Romano reported on August 27th, with Chelsea receiving a package worth up to £65m (£47.5m fixed plus £17.5m in add-ons) for the Senegal international. Romano said the club's own confirmation would follow on the morning of August 28th, reuniting Jackson with Unai Emery, who coached him at Villarreal.
Source: Fabrizio Romano; David Ornstein (The Athletic)Aston Villa will host Paris Saint-Germain, Borussia Dortmund, Fenerbahçe and Viking at Villa Park, and travel to Barcelona, Club Brugge, Galatasaray and Slavia Prague, after Thursday evening's Champions League league-phase draw, confirmed by the club's own account. Villa entered the draw in Pot 2 having secured another season in Europe's top competition under Unai Emery; the trip to Barcelona and the visits of PSG and Dortmund stand out as the marquee fixtures. UEFA has confirmed the full schedule, with match dates and kick-off times, will be published no later than Saturday, August 29th; the league phase runs across eight matchday windows between September 8th and January 27th, with Villa needing a top-eight finish among the 36 teams to qualify directly for the last 16.
Source: Aston Villa (official, X); Read Aston Villa (James Chettle)Aston Villa have decided against proceeding with negotiations for AC Milan winger Rafael Leão after weighing the cost of the deal, Matteo Moretto reported on Fabrizio Romano's YouTube channel on the evening of August 25th, saying Villa's contact was club-to-club rather than an approach to the player and that Leão 'is closer to staying than leaving' unless Milan lower their price. La Gazzetta dello Sport, relayed by Football Italia on the morning of August 26th, reported Villa had 'pulled out of talks' altogether, with a parallel Tottenham route also fading and Galatasaray now the only club still pushing for a deal. La Repubblica's print edition the same morning described Villa as still interested but unwilling to meet Milan's roughly £43m (€50m) asking price, with Leão himself said to prefer a move to Turkey. It follows Villa's own indicative offer to Milan, confirmed by David Ornstein on August 25th, which has not been reported as formally withdrawn or rejected.
Source: Matteo Moretto, via Fabrizio Romano's YouTube channel; La Gazzetta dello Sport, via Football Italia; La Repubblica / Milannews.it, via MilanreportsAl-Hilal have agreed all details of a deal to sign Ollie Watkins, Fabrizio Romano reported at 2:45pm UK time on August 26th, giving the move his "here we go": Aston Villa accepted an improved offer worth €58.4m plus €2m in add-ons for the 30-year-old, with the green light given from Villa Park and the striker set to travel to Saudi Arabia this week. It follows four rejected Al-Hilal bids rising from roughly £38m to just under £45m, personal terms agreed since August 23rd, and Watkins turning down a four-year contract extension and telling Villa he wanted to move. Unai Emery has already been active in the market for cover, with Villa agreeing a deal for Nicolas Jackson from Chelsea in parallel.
Source: Fabrizio Romano (X)Aston Villa have struck an agreement with Chelsea to sign Nicolas Jackson, David Ornstein reported for The Athletic at 2:40pm UK time on August 26th, with the deal for the 25-year-old worth £47.5m plus £17.5m in add-ons for a maximum package of £65m and personal terms in the process of being finalised. Jacob Tanswell corroborated within minutes, calling Jackson "set to be club record signing" after a long Unai Emery pursuit. Fabrizio Romano added that Jackson has said yes to the Villa project after speaking with Emery, with the deal at very final stages pending final green light on details before a medical. It comes as Villa also move to sanction Ollie Watkins's exit to Al-Hilal, agreed the same afternoon.
Source: David Ornstein / Jacob Tanswell (The Athletic); Fabrizio Romano (X)Crystal Palace have hijacked Aston Villa's move for Club Brugge defender Joel Ordóñez, talkSPORT reported on the morning of August 26th, with Fabrizio Romano adding that Palace have reached an agreement worth €30m plus add-ons and Ordóñez has accepted the move, a medical still to follow. Personal terms between Villa and Ordóñez had already been agreed before talks stalled on a fee structure acceptable to Brugge. Villa have since turned to West Ham United's Jean-Clair Todibo as an alternative, Jacob Tanswell reported for The Athletic, with the 26-year-old available following West Ham's relegation to the Championship; no bid or agreement has been reported, and Villa remain at the exploratory stage. Taylor Harwood-Bellis remains a separate, stalled pursuit, with Southampton still holding out on valuation.
Source: talkSPORT; Fabrizio Romano (X), via Read Aston Villa (James Chettle); Jacob Tanswell (The Athletic), via Read Aston Villa (James Chettle)Fabrizio Romano reported on August 26th that Grealish will decide his own future in the next few days, with Villa and Everton both in direct contact with his camp over a permanent move away from Manchester City. Grealish spent last season on loan at Everton, registering six assists in 22 appearances before a stress fracture ended his campaign, and Everton's valuation of a permanent deal is reported to sit well below the roughly £50m option-to-buy figure attached to his City contract. Villa's own interest in a boyhood-club return has surfaced repeatedly through the summer without contact being reported until now.
Source: Fabrizio Romano (X)Aston Villa will travel to face Coventry City in the third round of the Carabao Cup, the club confirmed on its own account on August 26th. Villa entered the competition at the third-round stage because of their Champions League involvement, one of the European clubs kept apart from each other in the draw for fixture-congestion reasons. The exact date and kick-off time have yet to be announced; third-round ties are scheduled across the weeks beginning September 7th and September 14th.
Source: Aston Villa (official, X); Read Aston Villa (James Chettle)Aston Villa have submitted a bid for Jean-Philippe Mateta as they step up contingency plans around Ollie Watkins's future, David Ornstein reported on August 25th, though the offer lands well short of Crystal Palace's valuation. Read Aston Villa's news desk added that Palace are under no obligation to sell: an independent Premier League tribunal and FIFA have both rejected Mateta's own challenge to the option Palace triggered on his contract in 2024, leaving him tied to the club through 2026-27 regardless of his stated wish to leave. Villa have also presented an indicative offer to AC Milan for Rafael Leão in the same update.
Source: David Ornstein (X/The Athletic); Read Aston VillaAston Villa have presented an indicative offer to AC Milan for Rafael Leão, David Ornstein reported on August 25th, in the same update confirming their bid for Jean-Philippe Mateta. It follows Read Aston Villa's report hours earlier that Villa had opened talks with Milan with a fee under discussion, Milan's valuation put as high as €60m against a possible £43m (€50m) figure floated by Football Italia. Leão missed Milan's league opener with a thigh problem, and Villa are also negotiating a separate £12.5m move for Fikayo Tomori in the same window.
Source: David Ornstein (X); Read Aston Villa (James Chettle)Crystal Palace have rejected Aston Villa's bid for Jean-Philippe Mateta, Jacob Tanswell reported in an Athletic subscriber Q&A on August 25th, attributing the news to David Ornstein and grouping Mateta alongside Rafael Leão as one of several routes Villa are weighing as Watkins-exit cover rather than a settled plan. The rejection follows Villa's bid, revealed by Ornstein earlier the same morning, which had already landed well short of Palace's valuation; Palace remain under no obligation to sell, with Mateta contracted through June 2027 after an independent Premier League tribunal and FIFA both rejected his own challenge to the option Palace triggered on his deal in 2024. Nicolas Jackson remains Villa's stated priority target, with Fabrizio Romano reporting nothing will move on Mateta until the Jackson pursuit is resolved.
Source: Jacob Tanswell (The Athletic), citing David Ornstein; Last Word on SportAston Villa have made a club-to-club approach to Bayer Leverkusen for 20-year-old striker Christian Kofane, Jacob Tanswell and David Ornstein reported jointly for The Athletic on August 25th, as part of contingency planning around a possible Ollie Watkins exit to Al-Hilal. Villa are long-standing admirers of Kofane, an interest that predates his move to Germany from Albacete Balompié last summer, but Leverkusen do not intend to sell following the contact.
Source: Jacob Tanswell / David Ornstein (The Athletic)Aston Villa have appointed Daniel Garcia, formerly of Newcastle United, as assistant goalkeeping coach, working under Javi Garcia to coach Zion Suzuki, Marco Bizot and James Wright. The Spaniard, who joined Newcastle from Rayo Vallecano in 2018 and was promoted to their senior staff in 2022 as part of Eddie Howe's Carabao Cup-winning backroom team, confirmed the move on X: “I've joined Aston Villa as Goalkeeping Assistant Coach. Today the season starts. Proud to be part of it. Up the Villa.” The appointment comes with Emi Martínez expected to leave the club before the window closes and Bizot preferred to new signing Suzuki for the Brighton opener; Suzuki could make his Villa debut in the August 31st home match against Arsenal.
Source: BirminghamLive (via Daniel Garcia's own X post)Aston Villa's pursuit of Southampton's Taylor Harwood-Bellis has cooled after an opening £18m offer was rejected and the two clubs failed to close a wide valuation gap, BBC Sport's Sami Mokbel reported on August 24th. Villa are described as having "moved on to other targets" for now, accelerating discussions instead with Club Brugge over Joel Ordóñez, whom Brugge want a minimum £40m for. Mokbel added it remains to be seen whether the Harwood-Bellis move can still be revived before the September 1st deadline. It follows a fortnight of talks in which Southampton twice rejected Villa bids (£18m, then £20m plus £4m in add-ons) while holding out for around £30m.
Source: BBC Sport (Sami Mokbel)Aston Villa and AC Milan are in contact and trying to agree a fee for Rafael Leão, Gianluca Di Marzio reported at 5:10pm UK time on August 24th, writing that the Portugal winger has never been closer to leaving Milan. Leão has opened up to a move to Villa Park, according to Di Marzio, with agent Jorge Mendes having put the two clubs in touch as fee talks continue. Milan owner Gerry Cardinale has held to a €60m valuation but would reopen talks at €50m, Football Italia reported earlier the same day, citing Calciomercato.com's report that Villa have emerged as late suitors for the 27-year-old. Villa's Champions League football and the funds freed by Morgan Rogers's British-record £117m sale to Chelsea are cited as factors in a late move that would address Unai Emery's forward-line search as Ollie Watkins's own Al-Hilal exit edges closer.
Source: Gianluca Di Marzio; Football Italia, citing Calciomercato.comOllie Watkins returned to Aston Villa training on Monday and apologised to his team-mates for missing Sunday's 4-0 defeat at Brighton, Jacob Tanswell reported for The Athletic on August 24th. The 30-year-old's future remains uncertain as Al-Hilal continue their pursuit; Villa wish to keep him but are stepping up contingency plans, with Nicolas Jackson, Jean-Philippe Mateta and Rafael Leão among the options Tanswell named.
Source: Jacob Tanswell (The Athletic)Villa have made contact with Club Brugge over centre-back Joel Ordóñez as they widen the search for Ezri Konsa's replacement, David Ornstein reported on August 23rd. Jacob Tanswell added that the 22-year-old Ecuador international, tracked by Villa for over a year, is viewed as an expensive option with Brugge's valuation around EUR 35m; he is also carrying a foot fracture sustained at the World Cup. Ordóñez joins Southampton's Taylor Harwood-Bellis and AC Milan's Fikayo Tomori as centre-back options this window.
Source: David Ornstein (X); Jacob Tanswell (X/The Athletic)Aston Villa's free-transfer move for Leon Goretzka has advanced to its final stage, Sky Sport Deutschland's Florian Plettenberg reported in the early hours of August 23rd: a full agreement is in place with final approval given and the last details clarified, leaving a medical -- still to be finalised -- and Goretzka's signature on a contract expected to run two to three years as the only remaining steps. It follows Fabrizio Romano's "here we go" the previous morning, when a verbal agreement was reached after Goretzka's direct call with Unai Emery. Villa turned to the free agent, who left Bayern Munich this summer after eight seasons, once their pursuit of João Palhinha collapsed in Benfica's favour.
Source: Florian Plettenberg (Sky Sport Deutschland, X)Unai Emery left both Ollie Watkins and Emiliano Martínez out of Aston Villa's squad entirely for the Premier League curtain-raiser at Brighton & Hove Albion on August 23rd. Read Aston Villa's James Chettle, who broke the confirmed XI, stressed there has been no confirmation either omission is transfer-related, though Watkins's future remains tied up in Al-Hilal's continuing pursuit and Martínez continues to be allowed to find a new club. New £30m signing Zion Suzuki was left among the substitutes rather than starting in goal, with Marco Bizot preferred, while João Gomes made what Chettle called a 'surprise' recovery from the calf injury that had been expected to keep him out, starting alongside Boubacar Kamara in central midfield. With no recognised senior striker selected, Ross Barkley led the line, supported by John McGinn, Emiliano Buendía and George Hemmings; Tammy Abraham and new signing Aaron Wan-Bissaka also missed out on the 18. Confirmed XI: Bizot; Cash, Lindelöf, Torres, Maatsen; Kamara, Gomes; McGinn, Buendía, Hemmings; Barkley. Subs: Suzuki, Mings, Ruggeri, Garnacho, Bogarde, Rowe, Alysson, Burrowes, Lynch.
Source: Read Aston Villa (James Chettle); corroborated by Jacob Tanswell (X/The Athletic), BirminghamLive and Sky Sports NewsAston Villa's 2026-27 season began with a 4-0 defeat at Brighton on August 23rd, and new signing João Gomes sent off before half-time. Victor Lindelöf turned the ball into his own net in the eighth minute after Pau Torres gave the ball away under pressure from Maxim De Cuyper, who doubled Brighton's lead himself in the 18th minute from Georginio Rutter's cross. Jack Hinshelwood then scored twice inside a minute either side of the half-hour mark to make it 4-0. Gomes, already booked in the ninth minute, was dispossessed by Yasin Ayari in the build-up to Hinshelwood's second and was sent off for a second yellow card in the 40th minute after kicking out. BirminghamLive's John Townley noted Villa became only the second Premier League team to concede four goals, have a player sent off and score an own goal in the first half of a match, after Southampton against Manchester United in February 2021. Emiliano Martínez and Ollie Watkins were both left out of the 20-man squad entirely amid their separate exit sagas, and with no recognised senior striker available, Ross Barkley led the line in a 4-2-3-1 with George Hemmings, John McGinn and Emiliano Buendía in support; Marco Bizot started in goal ahead of both Suzuki and Martínez. Villa played the last 50 minutes a man light and could not respond.
Source: The Guardian; BirminghamLive (John Townley); Read Aston Villa (James Chettle)Unai Emery declined three times to explain Ollie Watkins's absence from Aston Villa's 20-man squad for the 4-0 defeat at Brighton on August 23rd, telling reporters “this question is for him” and, when asked directly whether the striker had refused to play, “I think you can call him and you can call his agent and he can respond.” Al-Hilal have had a number of bids rejected for the 30-year-old, who is understood to be open to the Saudi Pro League move. Emery used the same press conference to give Villa's first concrete return timelines for three absent forwards: Johan Manzambi needs “maybe two weeks more” of work before rejoining the group, Brian Madjo has “a small injury” and “may need some days more,” and Tammy Abraham, also carrying what Emery called a small injury, “is going to join us again.” Reflecting on the heaviest defeat of his Villa tenure, Emery said the club “find it hard every year” with late-window squad disruption but “we always reacted, especially the players,” and called for calm.
Source: The Guardian (David Hytner); BBC Sport; The Independent; Express & Star; BirminghamLive (John Townley)João Gomes faces an automatic three-match suspension after his straight red card for serious foul play at Brighton on August 23rd, ruling him out of Aston Villa's home Premier League opener against Arsenal on August 31st and the trip to Hull City on September 5th, Read Aston Villa reported. The Premier League's Match Centre confirmed via X that the referee, Peter Bankes, issued the red card "for serious foul play" after a VAR review, quoting his pitchside explanation: "After review, Aston Villa No.35 kicks out at his opponent. Final decision is red card." The third match of the ban depends on the scheduling of Villa's EFL Cup third-round tie, due in the week of September 9th or 16th; if that tie is played before the home game with Nottingham Forest on September 12th, the cup match would complete the suspension rather than the Forest fixture. Gomes had just recovered from a calf strain to make a surprise start alongside Boubacar Kamara in Villa's midfield before his dismissal, moments after Brighton's fourth goal, in the 40th minute.
Source: Read Aston Villa (James Chettle); Premier League Match Centre (X); The Guardian (David Hytner)Villa have made contact with Manchester United to understand the conditions of a possible deal for Joshua Zirkzee as Unai Emery's search for a potential Ollie Watkins replacement widens, Fabrizio Romano reported on August 21st-22nd. The approach is an enquiry rather than an offer: no bid has been submitted and no negotiations have opened, with United open to a loan carrying an option or an obligation to buy if they decide to let the 25-year-old leave. Zirkzee, who United see as comfortable at centre-forward or in the No.10 role, joined from Bologna in July 2024 after a Serie A Team of the Year season. Chelsea's Nicolas Jackson remains Emery's preferred striker target if Watkins departs for Al-Hilal, with Zirkzee an alternative route rather than a leading option at this stage.
Source: Fabrizio Romano, via GiveMeSport and Read Aston Villa (James Chettle)Aston Villa have reached a verbal agreement to sign free agent Leon Goretzka, with Fabrizio Romano giving the move his "here we go" after a direct call between the midfielder and Unai Emery. The 31-year-old, who left Bayern Munich as a free agent this summer, still needs to complete a medical and sign his contract, with Villa planning both for the coming week. The move arrives days after Villa missed out on long-standing target Joao Palhinha, who opted for a return to Portugal with Benfica.
Source: Fabrizio Romano; Jacob Tanswell (The Athletic)Villa have asked about Jean-Philippe Mateta's availability as Unai Emery widens his search for attacking reinforcements, Mail Sport's Tom Collomosse reported on August 22nd. Villa have submitted no offer, and Palace currently have no intention of selling the France international, leaving Nicolas Jackson (informal discussions ongoing) and Manchester United's Joshua Zirkzee (also an enquiry) as Villa's other contingencies should Ollie Watkins complete a move to Al-Hilal. Mateta, 29, scored his 50th Premier League goal in May and struck the winning goal in Palace's UEFA Conference League final triumph the same month.
Source: Tom Collomosse (Mail Sport), via Read Aston Villa (James Chettle)Villa's summer rebuild extends beyond the playing squad, The Guardian reported on August 22nd via Read Aston Villa (James Chettle). Two club physios and the head of medical have moved to Arsenal, technical assistant Jaime Arias Galán has left, and individual development coach Rodri has joined Como. Assistant Pako Ayestarán and set-piece coach Austin MacPhee, who helped Villa to a league-joint-high 29 set-piece goals last season, have also departed; Jacob Tanswell reported for The Athletic on August 19th that Pål Fjelde has started work as MacPhee's replacement after arriving from Burnley, where he was part of Norway's World Cup backroom staff this summer.
Source: The Guardian, via Read Aston Villa (James Chettle); Jacob Tanswell (The Athletic)David Ornstein and Jacob Tanswell both reported on the morning of August 21st that Ezri Konsa has completed his move from Aston Villa to Arsenal, with Read Aston Villa's James Chettle writing the transfer is worth up to £55m. Ornstein put the fixed fee at £51m plus £4m in potential add-ons, with Konsa signing a four-year contract carrying a club option for a fifth season. Tanswell added that the move followed a new Villa contract offer the club could not match, and that talks reached ownership level between Mikel Arteta and Villa's hierarchy after Konsa said his farewells to Villa staff and team-mates on Wednesday. Neither club had published an official statement confirming the deal as of Friday morning, so the transfer is tracked as reaching its final stage rather than fully done. Konsa, 28, joined Villa from Brentford for £12m in 2019 and leaves after 286 appearances, helping the club win the Europa League and finish fourth in the Premier League last season; his exit is Villa's fourth major departure of the summer after Morgan Rogers, Youri Tielemans and Lucas Digne. His next Premier League game could come against his old club, with Arsenal due at Villa Park on August 31st.
Source: David Ornstein (X); Jacob Tanswell (X/The Athletic); Read Aston Villa (James Chettle)Aston Villa officially confirmed the signing of Aaron Wan-Bissaka from West Ham United on August 21st, on a season-long loan with a conditional obligation to buy. The DR Congo international, who played all four of his country's games at this summer's World Cup, spent five years at Manchester United before two seasons at West Ham, making 61 Premier League appearances since his 2024 move from Old Trafford. The club's own announcement did not disclose a fee; reporting before the confirmation (via the Daily Mail, relayed by Hammers News) put the obligation-to-buy figure at £18m, roughly £7m below West Ham's initial £25m valuation. Fabrizio Romano called the move "official, confirmed" and Jacob Tanswell reported the loan carries an option to buy that becomes an obligation depending on conditions to be met during the season. Wan-Bissaka arrives as back-up to Matty Cash at right-back, with Kosta Nedeljković having moved to Rangers on loan to clear a squad spot, and could be available for the Premier League opener at Brighton & Hove Albion on August 23rd.
Source: Aston Villa (avfc.co.uk); David Ornstein/Fabrizio Romano/Jacob Tanswell (X); Hammers News (Dan Owen)Aston Villa officially confirmed on August 21st that Ezri Konsa has completed a permanent transfer to Arsenal, hours after Fabrizio Romano called the deal "official, confirmed" at a fee of £50m plus £5m in add-ons -- in line with David Ornstein's earlier breakdown of £51m fixed plus up to £4m in potential add-ons. Konsa joined Villa from Brentford for £12m in July 2019 and leaves after 286 appearances, helping the club win the Europa League and finish fourth in the Premier League last season; the club's own statement called him "a universally popular and highly-respected figure in both the dressing room and around the training ground," and he was capped throughout England's run to the 2026 World Cup semi-final. His exit is Villa's fifth major departure of the summer after Morgan Rogers, Youri Tielemans, Lucas Digne and Kosta Nedeljković, and Victor Lindelöf now moves into the centre-back pairing alongside Pau Torres. Konsa's first Premier League appearance for his old club could come against Villa at Villa Park on August 31st.
Source: Aston Villa (avfc.co.uk); Fabrizio Romano (X); David Ornstein (X)Villa are in negotiations for the free-agent Germany midfielder, Matteo Moretto reports, days after missing out on João Palhinha to Benfica. Goretzka, 31, left Bayern Munich this summer after eight seasons and would arrive with no transfer fee attached.
Source: Matteo Moretto, via Read Aston VillaBenfica have agreed a fee with Bayern Munich to sign João Palhinha, Portuguese broadcaster SIC Notícias reported on August 20th, with the two clubs settling on a package worth EUR 15m guaranteed plus EUR 5m in bonuses. Bulinews and OneFootball, relaying the report in English within the hour, both framed it explicitly as Benfica beating Villa and Newcastle United to his signature. It follows personal-terms reporting from A Bola and Record on August 18th-19th that had Palhinha already agreeing a four-year contract with Benfica worth around EUR 6m gross a season, so the club-to-club fee was the last obstacle. Villa's own interest, tracked since early August, had stalled repeatedly on a loan-versus-permanent disagreement with Bayern; Fabrizio Romano reported as recently as the morning of August 19th that Bayern had rejected Villa's loan proposal again. Neither club has confirmed a deal and no medical has been reported, but Villa's pursuit is downgraded to cooling.
Source: SIC Notícias, via Bulinews and OneFootball; A Bola; Record; Fabrizio Romano (X)Fabrizio Romano declared "here we go" on João Palhinha to Benfica on August 20th, reporting a verbal agreement with Bayern Munich at €14m plus up to €5m in add-ons and documents now being exchanged. It closes out a month-long chase in which Aston Villa had agreed personal terms with the midfielder but could never get Bayern to accept a loan structure; Villa's own director of football operations, Damian Vidagany, had already conceded on August 8th that talks were live with no agreement in place. The rumor is downgraded from cooling to off.
Source: Fabrizio Romano (X)Aston Villa have had an opening offer of around £18m plus add-ons for Southampton centre-back Taylor Harwood-Bellis rejected, according to David Ornstein and Jacob Tanswell, with the Saints holding out for a higher fee. Villa are working to cover the centre-back position with Ezri Konsa closing in on a £51m move to Arsenal.
Source: David OrnsteinFabrizio Romano reported at 1.33am UK time on August 19th that Aston Villa are in the middle of "busy hours": Aaron Wan-Bissaka has begun his medical at the club following a loan-with-obligation-to-buy agreement reached with West Ham the previous day, while Zion Suzuki and Matteo Ruggeri are both "set to be announced" as new signings. It is the clearest signal yet that Suzuki's move from Parma, agreed in principle since August 16th and put through a medical on August 17th, and Ruggeri's move from Atlético Madrid, in Birmingham since last week awaiting final paperwork, are both nearing formal confirmation. Neither deal has been announced by either club. Separately overnight, Read Aston Villa reported that Villa have rejected Al-Hilal's opening £38m bid for Ollie Watkins, with the Saudi club preparing an improved offer and the striker himself understood to be open to the move.
Source: Fabrizio Romano (X); Read Aston Villa (James Chettle)Aston Villa announced the signing of Zion Suzuki from Parma on the morning of August 19th, ending a pursuit that had run since mid-July. The Japan international, capped 22 times by the Samurai Blue and part of their World Cup squad this summer, joins on a permanent transfer reported by Fabrizio Romano and Jacob Tanswell at EUR 30m rising to EUR 35m in potential add-ons on a five-year contract; the club's own announcement did not disclose a fee. Suzuki made 20 Serie A appearances for Parma last season after two years in Belgium with Sint-Truiden and his development at Urawa Red Diamonds, where he made his professional debut at 18. The move follows the collapse of a rival Paris Saint-Germain deal in mid-August, and multiple tier-one reporters have said Suzuki becomes Villa's new first-choice goalkeeper regardless of what happens with Emiliano Martinez, whose own future remains open.
Source: Aston Villa (official); Fabrizio Romano (X); Jacob Tanswell (The Athletic)Aston Villa announced the signing of left-back Matteo Ruggeri from Atlético Madrid on the morning of August 19th, a permanent deal Fabrizio Romano reported as official and confirmed at EUR 25m fixed plus EUR 1.5m in add-ons; the club's own statement did not disclose a fee. Ruggeri, 24, is a UEFA Europa League winner with Atalanta from 2024, graduating from the club's academy and making over 100 appearances there before a move to Atlético last summer. He has represented Italy at several youth levels but is yet to win a senior cap. He arrives as direct competition for Ian Maatsen at left-back, replacing the departed Lucas Digne, after Villa's earlier move for AC Milan's Pervis Estupiñán stalled over a EUR 2m gap in valuation.
Source: Aston Villa (official); Fabrizio Romano (X)Jacob Tanswell reported for The Athletic at 4.34am UK time on August 19th that Pal Fjelde has formally started work at Aston Villa as the club's new set-piece coach. The 32-year-old joins from Burnley and was part of Norway's backroom staff at this summer's World Cup. The appointment completes a move first reported on August 10th, when The Athletic said Villa were in talks to bring him in, and confirmed from Burnley's side on August 15th when manager Nicky Hayen said the club were aware Fjelde was on speaking terms with Villa and ready to anticipate his departure. He replaces Austin MacPhee, who left Villa for Chelsea in July after seven years working on Unai Emery's and Dean Smith's set pieces.
Source: Jacob Tanswell (The Athletic)Aston Villa announced on the morning of August 19th that Kosta Nedeljković has joined Rangers on a season-long loan carrying a £4m obligation to buy triggered by appearances, completing a move Fabrizio Romano and Jacob Tanswell had reported as agreed since August 17th-18th and confirmed as under medical review earlier this week. BBC Sport and BirminghamLive corroborated the official announcement. The 20-year-old right-back said joining Rangers was "an easy decision" after speaking with manager Derek McInnes, who called him "an athletic and energetic full-back." Nedeljković returned to Villa Park this summer after a season on loan at RB Leipzig but was behind Matty Cash in the pecking order; his exit leaves Cash as Villa's only specialist right-back, with Ezri Konsa, Victor Lindelöf and Lamare Bogarde able to deputise there. Villa paid Red Star Belgrade around £8m for him in January 2024.
Source: Aston Villa (official); BBC Sport; BirminghamLive; Fabrizio Romano (X); Jacob Tanswell (The Athletic)Florian Plettenberg reported on the morning of August 19th that Bayern Munich sporting director Max Eberl has confirmed the club rejected Aston Villa's loan proposal for João Palhinha, quoting him directly: "Aston Villa contacted us about João Palhinha, but we haven't found an agreement." Bayern are pushing for a permanent sale and are not currently entertaining a loan with an obligation to buy, a harder line than the one Eberl had appeared to strike two days earlier. Kicker and t-online corroborated the rejection. Fabrizio Romano followed shortly after, reporting that Benfica are pushing to get a deal for Palhinha done now that Villa's bid has been turned down, with club-to-club talks between Bayern and the Lisbon side underway; Benfica have already offered Bayern EUR 15m fixed plus EUR 5m in add-ons and agreed personal terms with the player on a four-year contract. Palhinha's personal terms with Villa are not in doubt, and Villa have not withdrawn from the race, but the setback leaves Unai Emery's search for cover in Amadou Onana's absence without a clear route forward.
Source: Florian Plettenberg (Sky Sport Deutschland); Fabrizio Romano (X); Kicker; t-onlineArsenal agreed a deal worth more than £50m to sign Ezri Konsa from Aston Villa on the morning of August 19th, Fabrizio Romano writing “here we go” at 9:44am UK time on a fee of £50m plus add-ons with personal terms and a long-term contract already in place. David Ornstein and Jacob Tanswell corroborated for The Athletic within minutes, putting the package at £51m plus add-ons and reporting Konsa said goodbye to Villa team-mates and staff on August 19th ahead of a medical scheduled for Thursday. BBC Sport's Sami Mokbel corroborated the agreement, noting Arsenal had briefly appeared to pivot toward Bayer Leverkusen's Jarell Quansah before refocusing on Konsa. The 28-year-old England international joined Villa from Brentford for £12m in July 2019 and has made 286 appearances, helping the club win the Europa League and finish fourth in the Premier League last season. He has not featured in pre-season, having been given time off by Unai Emery following England's third-place World Cup finish. It would be Villa's fourth major departure of the summer after Morgan Rogers, Youri Tielemans and Lucas Digne, with Emiliano Martínez also expected to leave.
Source: Fabrizio Romano (X); David Ornstein (The Athletic); Jacob Tanswell (The Athletic); BBC Sport (Sami Mokbel)Ajax have held talks over a move for Leon Bailey, Sky Sports News's Anthony Joseph and Tim Thornton reported on the club's live blog at 8:37am UK time on August 19th, with the Dutch club exploring the conditions of a deal and considering an official offer for the 29-year-old Jamaica international. Bailey has a year left on a contract Villa are not expected to renew, with wages of around £120,000 a week the obstacle throughout the summer and Villa wanting a fee rather than a loan. Hull City's long-running interest has cooled in tandem: the Championship club were close to signing Bailey earlier in the window, but talks between the two clubs have stalled and Hull are now assessing other options, including Fiorentina's Niccolò Fortini.
Source: Sky Sports News (Anthony Joseph, Tim Thornton)Villa have opened talks with Milan over a move for the centre-back, per Gazzetta dello Sport's Luca Bianchin (relayed by YSscores), with Milan prepared to sell for €10m-€15m as Unai Emery looks to replace the departing Ezri Konsa.
Source: YSscores, citing Gazzetta dello Sport (Luca Bianchin)Jacob Tanswell reported for The Athletic's transfer dealsheet at 3.52am UK time on August 18th that Villa are aware of Al-Hilal's long-standing interest in Ollie Watkins but that Villa sources state the striker is staying as part of Unai Emery's season plans and that the club intend to keep him. It is the first tier-one line on the story since Sacha Tavolieri's tier-three report on August 17th that personal terms were agreed with Al-Hilal, and it points the other way: no club-to-club offer has been made, Al-Hilal cannot progress a move until Karim Benzema's own contract dispute is resolved, and Villa's own read of the situation is that Watkins is not going anywhere. Watkins scored 21 goals in all competitions last season and is contracted to 2028; Tammy Abraham's injury scare at Mönchengladbach and Brian Madjo's absence to September leave Villa needing him fit for Brighton regardless.
Source: Jacob Tanswell (The Athletic)Sky Sports News reported Nedeljković is undergoing his medical ahead of a season-long loan to Rangers, with a £4m obligation to buy triggered by appearances; Villa and Rangers agreed the structure on August 17th-18th, and only a club announcement remains.
Source: Sky Sports News (Sahil Jaidka)Jacob Tanswell reported for The Athletic at 3.23pm UK time on August 18th that Wan-Bissaka is scheduled to have his medical on Wednesday, with a broad agreement in place between Villa and West Ham for a season-long loan carrying an option that has scope to become an obligation depending on conditions being met. BBC Sport's Nizaar Kinsella corroborated within the hour, reporting Villa have agreed terms with West Ham on a loan-with-obligation deal and that the defender has permission to travel for his medical. It comes after West Ham rejected Villa's opening loan offer earlier the same day; Read Aston Villa reported a rapid turnaround in negotiations once the clubs returned to the table, with West Ham having sought around £20m to £25m from any interested club. Wan-Bissaka, 28, spent two seasons at West Ham after a £15m move from Manchester United and is set to compete with Matty Cash for the right-back position, with Kosta Nedeljković set to leave on loan for Rangers around the same time. Provided the medical passes without issue, it would be Villa's sixth signing of the summer.
Source: Jacob Tanswell (The Athletic); BBC Sport (Nizaar Kinsella); BirminghamLive (John Townley, Kieran King); Read Aston Villa (James Chettle)Fabrizio Romano reported at 4.24pm UK time on August 18th that Al-Hilal have submitted an official bid for Ollie Watkins worth €45m in total, add-ons included, after two earlier approaches were turned down; Watkins is understood to be keen on the move, with the final decision now in Villa's hands. David Ornstein and Jacob Tanswell followed for The Athletic just over an hour later, reporting that Villa are set to reject the formal offer: the club say they are aware of Al-Hilal's long-standing admiration for the striker but want to keep him, with the Saudi club's pursuit continuing regardless. Read Aston Villa noted the €45m package sits below the roughly £60m valuation previously reported around Watkins, leaving Villa able to hold out for more if they choose to negotiate rather than simply decline. Watkins is contracted to 2028 and has scored at least 15 Premier League goals in each of the last four seasons; with Brian Madjo out until September and Tammy Abraham a doubt after Mönchengladbach, Villa go into Sunday's opener at Brighton with the forward as their only fit senior striker regardless of how the bid is resolved.
Source: Fabrizio Romano (X); David Ornstein (The Athletic); Jacob Tanswell (The Athletic); Read Aston Villa (James Chettle)PSG winger Ibrahim Mbaye has agreed personal terms on a five-year contract with Liverpool, RMC Sport's Fabrice Hawkins reported on August 18th, with the 18-year-old Senegal international turning down interest from Aston Villa and Manchester United. It confirms the picture TEAMtalk's Graeme Bailey first reported on July 27th, when Mbaye's representatives made clear his camp saw his next move as one that should reflect what they regard as his elite potential rather than Villa Park. Personal terms are not a done deal: Liverpool still need to agree a fee with PSG, and the Daily Mail's Simon Jones reported on August 19th that Liverpool are now unlikely to pursue him further, describing their interest as exploratory, with Bayer Leverkusen still in the frame. Villa's interest, tracked on the board since early August, is downgraded to cooling.
Source: RMC Sport (Fabrice Hawkins); TEAMtalk (Graeme Bailey); Daily Mail (Simon Jones)Bayern Munich sporting director Max Eberl has opened the door for João Palhinha to leave on loan in the final two weeks of the summer window, John Townley reported for BirminghamLive on the morning of August 17th, walking back the flat refusal that had stalled Villa's move. Eberl, speaking over the weekend, said Bayern would accept a loan if a substantial fee were involved: "I've never said that [only permanent]. We have to see. There are many different possibilities nowadays... It could be that someone says: we're ready to pay a high loan fee, then you say: okay, we have to accept." Villa remain interested in the Portugal midfielder and are targeting him on loan to cover Amadou Onana's ACL injury, with Newcastle United's rival interest reported as less firm than earlier suggested. The story had sat at cooling since Bayern rejected Villa's loan-with-option offer on August 15th and held out for a permanent sale worth EUR 25m to EUR 30m; personal terms have not been the obstacle, with Palhinha having already agreed terms with Villa and told Bayern he wants the move.
Source: BirminghamLive (John Townley)Aston Villa announced on August 17th that three Premier League fixtures have been rescheduled following the latest round of television selections. The trip to Newcastle United moves to a 5.30pm kick-off on Saturday, October 17th, live on Sky Sports. The home match with Manchester City has been brought forward to 12.30pm on Saturday, October 24th for TNT Sport, though the exact time remains provisional and could shift to 8pm if Villa are drawn away in the Champions League the preceding Wednesday, with confirmation only possible after the August 27th group-stage draw. Villa's opening match of November, at home to Fulham, moves to 2pm on Sunday, November 2nd, live on Sky Sports. The visit of Brentford on Saturday, October 10th stays in its original 3pm slot.
Source: Express & Star (Matt Maher); Aston Villa (X)Jacob Tanswell reported for The Athletic at 5.07pm UK time on August 17th that Kosta Nedeljković is expected to join Rangers on an initial loan with a £4m obligation to buy, the clause dependent on his appearances. Rangers manager Derek McInnes has held talks with the 20-year-old directly, with the Scottish club in contact throughout the summer. It is the first tier-one report to attach a concrete structure to a move that had sat at talks since Sky Sports News first reported discussions on August 11th; Matty Cash remains Villa's first-choice right-back, with Ezri Konsa, Victor Lindelöf and Lamare Bogarde able to cover the position in Nedeljković's absence.
Source: Jacob Tanswell (The Athletic)David Ornstein reported for The Athletic at 6.58am UK time on August 16th that Aston Villa have reached agreement with Parma to sign Zion Suzuki, with the package worth EUR 30m plus potential add-ons that could take it to EUR 35m, a five-year contract already in place, and the Japan international keen on the move throughout. Jacob Tanswell filed the same figures independently for The Athletic. Fabrizio Romano, writing nine minutes later, struck a more cautious note: personal terms are agreed and Villa are closing in on a EUR 35m package, he said, but the final details still need to be sorted before a formal agreement, and he added that Juventus remain keen on Emiliano Martínez if they can secure guarantees over the finger injury that troubled him through the World Cup, depending on price. The Athletic's reporting on August 15th had already tied the Suzuki push directly to Martínez's own exit talks; Suzuki made 36 Serie A appearances for Parma last season.
Source: David Ornstein (The Athletic); Jacob Tanswell (The Athletic); Fabrizio Romano (X)David Ornstein reported exclusively for The Athletic at 6.08am UK time on August 16th that Villa have received a fresh bid from Juventus for Emiliano Martínez worth up to EUR 10m, structured as EUR 7m plus EUR 3m in add-ons against Villa's ask of EUR 10m fixed, with personal terms for the 33-year-old goalkeeper no issue and the gap between the clubs narrowing. Jacob Tanswell corroborated the same morning for The Athletic, describing negotiations as progressing. BirminghamLive's Alex Dicken, relaying The Athletic, and Football Italia, relaying Ornstein and Sky Sports News, both carried the same figures. It is the first concrete bid Juventus have lodged since re-opening their interest on August 15th, after Villa's own move for Zion Suzuki reached agreement with Parma the same morning.
Source: David Ornstein (The Athletic); Jacob Tanswell (The Athletic); BirminghamLive (Alex Dicken); Football ItaliaAston Villa and Parma have begun exchanging documents for Zion Suzuki's transfer, with travel and a medical now being arranged after personal terms were agreed and Paris Saint-Germain's rival deal for the goalkeeper collapsed over commission demands. Fabrizio Romano reported the development on the morning of August 16th, with Ben Jacobs and David Ornstein also cited.
Source: Fabrizio Romano (X); Ben Jacobs; David Ornstein (The Athletic)David Ornstein and Jacob Tanswell reported for The Athletic on the evening of August 16th that Emiliano Martínez's move to Juventus is off, with talks having narrowed the price gap and personal terms never the issue, but Juventus deciding against continuing. Fabrizio Romano, writing minutes earlier, said Juventus, Villa and Martínez's camp were all calling the deal '100 per cent off' after huge differences over price and Juventus's own doubts about the finger injury that troubled the goalkeeper through the World Cup, with Juventus moving straight into direct talks for Guglielmo Vicario. An hour earlier Romano had Villa insisting on a €15m valuation against a €6m-plus-add-ons offer Juventus considered fair, the last data point before the deal was declared dead. Villa are pressing on with Zion Suzuki regardless: Romano reported the club are still proceeding with all the formal steps even after the Martínez move stopped, with a medical booked and Villa set to complete the deal early next week, and Tanswell put a date on it, reporting that Suzuki will undergo his medical at Villa on Monday morning on a deal worth €30m plus €5m in add-ons with a five-year contract signed. Both Ornstein and Tanswell said Suzuki becomes Villa's new No. 1 either way, with the club now working to find Martínez a fresh move rather than assuming he stays. BirminghamLive reported that Juventus's interest traced back to a bid of around £8.5m that fell short of Villa's demands, and that even if Martínez does not depart the club at all, Suzuki is still expected to become first-choice goalkeeper this season.
Source: David Ornstein (The Athletic); Jacob Tanswell (The Athletic); Fabrizio Romano (X); John Percy (The Telegraph); BirminghamLive (John Townley, Patrick Austen-Hardy)Villa are in talks to appoint Pal Fjelde as their set-piece coach, and Burnley have now confirmed it from their side. Their manager Nicky Hayen, speaking before the weekend and quoted by John Townley of BirminghamLive on August 15th, said the club know Fjelde is on speaking terms with Villa, that they are aware of the situation, and that they are ready to anticipate his departure when it happens. The Athletic reported on August 10th that Villa were in talks to appoint him and that he would replace Austin MacPhee, who left Villa for Chelsea in July after seven years working on Unai Emery's and Dean Smith's set pieces. Fjelde joined Burnley last year and has been Norway's set-piece coach since June 2022, a role he held through their run to the World Cup quarter-finals this summer, where they were knocked out by England. Nothing has been signed and neither club has announced anything.
Source: Nicky Hayen, via John Townley (BirminghamLive); The AthleticFabrizio Romano reported on the morning of August 15th that Paris Saint-Germain's move for the Parma goalkeeper Zion Suzuki had fallen through, and that Villa have called both Parma and the player's camp to match the Paris proposal of more than EUR 30m. Romano describes negotiations as underway. Villa had tracked the 23-year-old Japan international for months, an interest previously understood to depend on Emiliano Martinez leaving; no fresh reporting has been published on the Argentine's future.
Source: Fabrizio Romano (X)Tammy Abraham was withdrawn after 54 minutes at Borussia-Park on August 15th, slipping as he chased a Ross Barkley pass and staying down. He was treated on the pitch, walked off and limped down the tunnel as Brad Burrowes replaced him. Villa have published no diagnosis. With Brian Madjo out until at least September and Ollie Watkins yet to play a pre-season minute after his post-World Cup break, the opener at Brighton & Hove Albion on August 23rd is eight days away.
Source: BirminghamLive (John Townley)Fabrizio Romano reported at 10.30am on August 15th that Villa and Atletico Madrid have completed the exchange of documents for Matteo Ruggeri, confirming the package at EUR 25m fixed plus EUR 1.5m in add-ons. It is the final administrative step before an announcement, and it settles a fee that had been given at several different figures during the week. Neither club has published anything yet.
Source: Fabrizio Romano (X)Jacob Tanswell reported for The Athletic on the afternoon of August 15th that Emiliano Martinez is in negotiations to leave Villa and that discussions over a move are progressing, which is why the club have stepped up their interest in the Parma goalkeeper Zion Suzuki. Fabrizio Romano reported the same hour that Juventus have asked again about Martinez's situation, with the Argentine, Ederson, and Guglielmo Vicario all under consideration in Turin. It reverses the club's public line of last month, when Damian Vidagany said the goalkeeper's future was settled and that Villa had no intention of letting him go. Martinez, who turns 34 in September, has made 256 appearances since joining from Arsenal in 2020 and is not due back from his post-World Cup break until Monday.
Source: Jacob Tanswell (The Athletic); Fabrizio Romano (X)Fabrizio Romano reported at 1.20am UK time on August 14th that Aston Villa are set to focus their efforts on a new right-back after the Matteo Ruggeri deal is announced soon at left-back, and that the club's interest in West Ham United's Aaron Wan-Bissaka is genuine and concrete. Ruggeri arrived in Birmingham on Thursday evening with his agent to sign, on a package Romano has put at EUR 25m plus EUR 1.5m in add-ons. Neither Villa nor Atletico Madrid have announced the transfer.
Source: Fabrizio Romano (X)Aston Villa announced on Friday morning that Jimmy Rimmer has died at the age of 78. The Southport-born goalkeeper joined from Arsenal in 1977 for GBP 65,000 under Ron Saunders and made 287 appearances in six seasons as first choice, playing every match of the 1980-81 title-winning campaign and starting every tie on the run to the European Cup final in 1982. He lasted nine minutes of that final against Bayern Munich before a neck injury he had kept quiet forced him off, handing the gloves to Nigel Spink, who was named man of the match as Villa won 1-0. It was Rimmer's second winners' medal, after a place on the Manchester United bench in 1968. He returned to Swansea City in 1983 and later coached in China and Canada.
Source: Aston Villa (official, via X); Matt Maher (Express & Star)Fabrizio Romano quoted Bayern Munich's sporting director Max Eberl on Friday morning saying that Villa have made contact over Joao Palhinha but that there is no agreement between the clubs and the deal is currently off. Palhinha agreed personal terms with Villa on August 12th and told Bayern he wanted the move, but the two clubs never closed the gap between Villa's loan with an option to buy and Bayern's insistence on a permanent sale at around EUR 25m. Villa are a midfielder short with Amadou Onana out for the season.
Source: Fabrizio Romano (X)Sky Sports News reported on Friday that Arsenal are in talks with Bayer Leverkusen over the England defender Jarell Quansah, having found a move for Ezri Konsa harder than expected. Arsenal's valuation has stayed well short of Villa's asking price of around GBP 60m, and the GBP 40m offer they lodged this week was expected to be rejected. Quansah, 23, can play centre-back and right-back, though Leverkusen do not want to sell and Liverpool hold a buy-back clause.
Source: Sky Sports NewsFootball Insider reported on Friday morning that Ezri Konsa has informed Villa of his desire to join Arsenal and has agreed personal terms, with fee negotiations between the clubs at their final stages and an agreement expected at around £60m to £65m. TEAMtalk, relayed by Football365, has Arsenal preparing an improved proposal that could exceed £50m including add-ons after Villa rejected bids of £30m and £40m. Sky Sports News struck a more cautious note earlier the same morning, reporting a big gap in valuation and no indication yet that Arsenal will come close to Villa's £60m asking price. Konsa turns 29 in October and has two years left on his contract.
Source: Football Insider (Wayne Veysey); TEAMtalk, via Football365Friday's print edition of Corriere dello Sport, relayed by Sport Witness, reports that Villa and Newcastle United have both made contact over Fikayo Tomori after AC Milan placed the England centre-back on their sale list and informed him of the decision. Tomori is training separately from the squad and was left out of Milan's friendly against Chelsea, with his contract due to expire in 2027 and Ruben Amorim not counting on him. Newcastle's opening €15m offer has been reported in Italy against a Milan valuation of around €20m, and Benfica, Juventus, and Coventry City are also in the picture.
Source: Corriere dello Sport, relayed by Sport WitnessAston Villa announced on Friday afternoon that Sam Iling Jr has joined Bolton Wanderers on a season-long loan, a fifth straight loan since his move from Juventus in 2024. The 22-year-old spent the first half of last season at West Bromwich Albion before finishing the campaign in Serie A with Pisa, and made one Premier League appearance for Villa in between. His exit leaves Ian Maatsen as the only senior left-back at the club with Matteo Ruggeri's arrival from Atlético Madrid still to be announced.
Source: Aston Villa (official)Jacob Tanswell reported for The Athletic at 6.28pm UK time on August 14th that Villa expect to be without João Gomes and Brian Madjo when the season opens at Brighton & Hove Albion on August 23rd. Gomes has suffered a calf strain and is initially anticipated to miss two to four weeks; first indications on Madjo are that he could be out until at least September. Further scans will determine the specific timeframes for both. Gomes has started in the double pivot in every pre-season match he has played since his GBP 38m move from Wolverhampton Wanderers, and with Amadou Onana out for the season and Johan Manzambi's knee still unresolved, the senior midfield is down to Boubacar Kamara and Ross Barkley. Madjo, 17, scored on his competitive debut in the Super Cup against Paris Saint-Germain two days ago to become the youngest scorer in the competition's history.
Source: Jacob Tanswell (The Athletic), via XFabrizio Romano reported on August 13th that Manchester City have agreed a deal for their academy to sign Heaven Kilwa, and that the winger has already signed paperwork at City with the Premier League's five-step process for under-18 moves ongoing. Kilwa turned down a scholarship at Villa Park when his contract expired last month, the only player in his age group to do so, so City will owe training compensation rather than a transfer fee. He joined the academy from Coventry City in 2021, registered 51 goal involvements in 2025-26, and has eleven England Under-16 caps. Reporting a day earlier had put Tottenham Hotspur in front.
Source: Fabrizio Romano (X)Tom Collomosse reported for the Daily Mail on the morning of August 13th that Arsenal's proposal for Ezri Konsa has reached GBP 40m and that Aston Villa are expected to turn it down, with the England defender thought to be open to the move. The figure is GBP 20m short of Villa's GBP 60m valuation and around GBP 10m up on Arsenal's opening approach in July. Sami Mokbel reported for BBC Sport on August 12th that Arsenal accept they will have to improve significantly on that first offer to succeed. Konsa, 28, is contracted at Villa Park until 2028.
Source: Tom Collomosse (Daily Mail), relayed by Daily CannonCraig Butler, Leon Bailey's representative, told the Jamaica Observer that the winger's camp are “in the middle of negotiations with several clubs” and that Hull City remain “very interested, but we have details that have to be worked out”. The comments were published on August 13th in the same article as Sergej Jakirovic's line to BBC Radio Humberside that the move was off, and BirminghamLive relayed them on the morning of August 14th. Nothing has been signed and nothing has been formally withdrawn; Bailey has a year left on his contract and Villa want a fee rather than a loan.
Source: Craig Butler, via the Jamaica Observer; relayed by BirminghamLiveParis Saint-Germain and Barcelona reached an agreement in principle on Thursday evening for Ferran Torres at a fee of around EUR 50m, with the forward excused from training while the move is completed and a medical in Paris to follow. Villa were credited with an approach worth around GBP 52m in July and were said to be willing to go higher, but no bid was lodged and the reporting since named only the two clubs now doing the deal.
Source: BBC SportSergej Jakirović told BBC Humberside on the morning of August 12th that Hull City's pursuit of Leon Bailey has collapsed again, calling the situation a mess and saying he would rather look elsewhere than have to persuade a reluctant signing. The deal had reached a medical, lined up for August 5th after talks involving Bailey and the Hull owner Acun Ilicali, and Matt Maher reported in the Express & Star on August 9th that it was expected to complete this week. Bailey skipped the Far East tour and was left out of the 23 Villa registered with UEFA for the Super Cup, and he now has a year left on his contract at Villa Park.
Source: BBC Humberside (Sergej Jakirović), relayed by BirminghamLiveVilla confirmed on the morning of the Super Cup that Evann Guessand has rejoined Crystal Palace on a season-long loan carrying a conditional obligation to buy. The Ivory Coast forward spent the second half of last season at Selhurst Park, but Palace passed up the permanent move in July when the GBP 28m obligation in that first loan went untriggered. Pierre Sage, appointed after Oliver Glasner left, was willing to go back in. Guessand cost Villa around GBP 26m from Nice a year ago and scored twice in 21 appearances before the January loan, both in the Europa League league phase against Go Ahead Eagles and Basel. He played in all three matches on the Far East tour but did not make Unai Emery's registered squad for Salzburg.
Source: Aston Villa (official club statement); BirminghamLiveFabrizio Romano reported on the morning of August 12th that Matteo Ruggeri will fly to England later in the day to undergo a medical at Aston Villa. The clubs are in place at EUR 25m fixed plus EUR 1.5m in add-ons, and the 24-year-old agreed his personal terms on Tuesday evening. Ruggeri would take the left-back place Lucas Digne vacated when Paris Saint-Germain triggered his release clause, a berth Ian Maatsen has filled through pre-season.
Source: Fabrizio Romano (X)Villa have held exploratory talks with West Ham over a deal for Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Jacob Tanswell reported for The Athletic on August 12th. West Ham, relegated to the Championship on the final day of last season, value the 28-year-old right-back at £25m, and Tanswell writes that it is unclear whether Villa want to pursue a permanent agreement at that price. Wan-Bissaka is named among a list of targets to fill the right-back position, where Matty Cash and Kosta Nedeljković are the only specialists in the squad and Nedeljković is in talks over a season-long loan to Rangers.
Source: Jacob Tanswell (The Athletic)UEFA have dismissed Aston Villa's appeal against a suspended Champions League away-ticket ban and a EUR 10,000 fine, Jacob Tanswell reported for The Athletic on August 12th. The sanction followed a discriminatory banner displayed at the fixture against Freiburg. Villa argued in their appeal that the supporter holding the banner was not part of the club's ticket allocation and had bought his ticket in a general zone, and that the banner was identified near the end of the first half. The ban remains suspended, so it does not affect ticket sales for a future away tie unless it is activated.
Source: Jacob Tanswell (The Athletic)João Palhinha has agreed personal terms with Villa and informed Bayern Munich that he wants the move, Fabrizio Romano reported on the afternoon of August 12th, adding that discussions between the clubs will follow and that the midfielder is prepared to join as soon as a fee is settled. Florian Plettenberg reported for Sky Sport Deutschland half an hour later that the personal terms have been fully agreed for several days, that Villa are currently offering a loan with an option to buy, and that Bayern are rejecting that structure with a permanent transfer still their priority. By Plettenberg's account it is now only down to the clubs, with Palhinha waiting on their decision. Sporting director Damian Vidagany has already said publicly that the Portugal midfielder fits Villa's plans.
Source: Fabrizio Romano (X); Florian Plettenberg (Sky Sport Deutschland), via XAlejandro Garnacho is not in Villa's squad for the Super Cup against Paris Saint-Germain because he is following concussion protocols, Jacob Tanswell of The Athletic reported at 6.51pm UK time, six minutes after the team sheet was released in Salzburg. Garnacho was caught in the face by the BG Pathum United midfielder Ryan Edwards two minutes before half-time on August 4th and left the field bleeding from the mouth, no diagnosis was published at the time, and he had trained at Bodymoor Heath on August 11th and been expected to feature. Unai Emery names Bizot; Cash, Lindelöf, Pau Torres, Maatsen; Kamara, João Gomes; McGinn, Buendía, Hemmings; Madjo, with Boubacar Kamara restored to the pivot beside João Gomes and Emiliano Buendía at the 10. The 19-year-old George Hemmings and the 17-year-old Brian Madjo both start, in a side already without Emiliano Martínez, Ezri Konsa, and Ollie Watkins, whom Emery gave four weeks off, and without the injured Amadou Onana and Johan Manzambi.
Source: Jacob Tanswell (The Athletic), via XBrian Madjo made the first competitive appearance of his career a record one. Unai Emery named the 17-year-old centre-forward at the head of a 4-2-3-1 against Paris Saint-Germain at the Stadion Salzburg on August 12th, and Opta confirmed him as the youngest player to start a UEFA Super Cup final since records for the fixture began in 2006, at 17 years and 212 days. The statistician Alexis Martin Tamayo, better known as Mister Chip, put the mark wider still: Madjo is the youngest player to start any European final, with Ronald de Boer in 1987 and Ibrahim Mbaye in 2025 the only younger players to have appeared in one, both off the bench. He then levelled before the interval, cancelling out Khvicha Kvaratskhelia's opener, a finish Villa's official account and The Independent both recorded as the youngest goal in the competition's history. Jacob Tanswell wrote at half-time that arguably the best centre-back pairing in world football were struggling to contain a 17-year-old on his competitive debut. Fabrizio Romano, who broke the January move that brought Madjo to Villa Park, called it a special moment for the club's new talent. The match was still in progress when this was published.
Source: Opta and Alexis Martin Tamayo (Mister Chip), via Goal; Aston Villa (official club X); The Independent; Jacob Tanswell (The Athletic), via XParis Saint-Germain beat Villa 2-1 at the Red Bull Arena in Salzburg on August 12th to lift the UEFA Super Cup. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia jinked inside Matty Cash and blasted his shot in at Marco Bizot's near post on 20 minutes, and Brian Madjo levelled on the stroke of half-time, volleying John McGinn's cross into the roof of the net to become the youngest scorer in the competition's history. Désiré Doué struck the winner just after the hour, beating an imperfect Villa offside line onto Ousmane Dembélé's pass; the goal was ruled out on the field before semi-automated offside showed Cash had played him on, and the Somali referee Omar Artan awarded it. Boubacar Kamara made his first start since the knee injury he sustained against Spurs in January, and Warren Zaïre-Emery blocked João Gomes from a near-certain debut goal late on. Villa had more shots than PSG, 15 to 12, and hit the woodwork once. Emiliano Martínez, Ezri Konsa, and Ollie Watkins were all still on holiday.
Source: Ben Fisher (The Guardian)Arsenal have held further talks over a deal for Ezri Konsa but remain short of Villa's valuation for the England defender, the Daily Mail reported on August 12th. Villa value the 28-year-old at £60m. Arsenal opened at around £35m in July and The Athletic reported on August 11th that they had moved to nearer £40m, while Sami Mokbel wrote for BBC Sport on August 12th that the Gunners accept they will have to improve their offer significantly to succeed. Their need is real: William Saliba faces an extended absence with the back problem he picked up at the World Cup. Konsa is contracted to 2028, and with three players already gone from last season's starting eleven Villa are under no pressure to sell.
Source: Daily Mail, via Sky Sports Paper Talk; Sami Mokbel (BBC Sport); The AthleticCrystal Palace are in talks to take Evann Guessand back to Selhurst Park on a season-long loan, the BBC's Sami Mokbel reported on the morning of August 11th. The Ivory Coast forward spent the second half of last season on loan at Palace, scoring his first Premier League goal in a 1-0 win over Wolves and coming off the bench in the Conference League final, and he returned to Bodymoor Heath for pre-season after Palace declined an option to sign him permanently. Henry Swain reported on August 10th that Villa have pitched an option to buy in excess of GBP 25m and that personal terms are in place. Guessand cost an initial GBP 26m from Nice a year ago and scored twice in 21 appearances in his first season at Villa Park.
Source: BBC Sport (Sami Mokbel)John McGinn and Alejandro Garnacho both trained at Bodymoor Heath on the morning of August 11th and are expected to be available for the UEFA Super Cup against Paris Saint-Germain in Salzburg, BirminghamLive reported. Both missed the 2-1 friendly defeat by Bayern Munich in Hong Kong after picking up injuries against BG Pathum United three days earlier: McGinn landed awkwardly on his left knee and was cleared of serious damage by a scan, while Garnacho was caught in the face by a challenge shortly before the interval. Amadou Onana and Johan Manzambi remain out.
Source: BirminghamLiveSky Sports News report that Rangers are in ongoing talks with Villa over the Serbia right-back, with a season-long loan the structure under discussion. Derek McInnes would also take a permanent deal or a loan carrying an option to buy, but Villa would need convincing to sanction either, and the discussions are described as early with nothing agreed. Nedeljkovic returned from a year at RB Leipzig this summer, has impressed through pre-season, and travelled to Salzburg for the Super Cup, but Matty Cash remains ahead of him at right-back.
Source: Sky Sports News (Sahil Jaidka); TEAMtalk; Jacob Tanswell (The Athletic)Sky Sports News report that Rangers are in ongoing talks with Villa over the Serbia right-back, with a season-long loan the structure under discussion. Derek McInnes would also take a permanent deal or a loan carrying an option to buy, but Villa would need convincing to sanction either, and the discussions are described as early with nothing agreed. Nedeljković returned from a year at RB Leipzig this summer, has impressed through the summer programme, and travelled to Salzburg for the Super Cup, but Matty Cash remains ahead of him at right-back.
Source: Sky Sports News (Sahil Jaidka); TEAMtalk; Jacob Tanswell (The Athletic)Unai Emery confirmed on August 11th that Ollie Watkins, Ezri Konsa, and Emiliano Martínez did not travel to Salzburg for the Super Cup against Paris Saint-Germain, having been given four weeks off after their World Cup campaigns ended on July 19th. None of the three has featured in pre-season. Emery said the break was necessary and that he would prepare the game with the players available to him, including some of the young players who have carried the tour, while acknowledging that Paris Saint-Germain are favourites. Johan Manzambi also misses out with the knee injury he sustained with Switzerland at the World Cup.
Source: BirminghamLive; Jacob Tanswell (The Athletic)Jacob Tanswell of The Athletic named Brian Madjo, Modou Kéba Cissé, and Triston Rowe among the players who travelled to Austria on August 11th for the Super Cup meeting with Paris Saint-Germain. Of the three, only Cissé is in the 23 Villa registered with UEFA on August 6th. Madjo was left out of that list despite winning his Court of Arbitration for Sport appeal on August 4th and scoring four times in pre-season, and Triston Rowe, the 19-year-old full-back who played the full ninety minutes against BG Pathum United on the Far East tour, was not named either. Villa go to Salzburg without three of the players they did register: Unai Emery confirmed at his pre-match press conference that Emiliano Martínez, Ezri Konsa, and Ollie Watkins have been given four weeks off after finishing their World Cup on July 19th.
Source: Jacob Tanswell (The Athletic)Fabrizio Romano reported on the evening of August 11th that Villa and Atletico Madrid have a verbal agreement for Matteo Ruggeri, with a fee of EUR 25m fixed plus EUR 1.5m in add-ons and the left-back's personal terms settled. Romano expects a medical and travel to Birmingham this week once the documents are approved. Football Italia, putting the total package at EUR 26.5m, report that the clubs shook hands several days ago and that it took until Tuesday evening for Ruggeri to give his own all-clear. The 24-year-old would fill the left-back place Lucas Digne vacated when Paris Saint-Germain triggered his release clause.
Source: Fabrizio Romano (X); Football ItaliaVilla have opened talks with Burnley over their set-piece coach Pål Fjelde, Jacob Tanswell reported for The Athletic on the morning of August 10th. The 32-year-old Norwegian would replace Austin MacPhee, who left Villa Park for Chelsea in late July after five years in which Villa became one of the most productive set-piece teams in Europe. No agreement has been reached.
Source: Jacob Tanswell (The Athletic)La Gazzetta dello Sport reported on August 9th that Villa have requested information on the Juventus striker and are considering a loan bid. David's EUR 6m net salary is the complication, and any move would depend on a forward leaving Villa Park first.
Source: La Gazzetta dello Sport, relayed by Read Aston Villa (James Chettle)Villa announced on August 9th that Lucas Digne has completed a permanent transfer to Paris Saint-Germain, returning to the club he joined from Lille in 2013. Paris activated a release clause BirminghamLive understands to be around GBP 8m, while Fabrizio Romano put the fee at EUR 7m. Digne signed from Everton for GBP 25m in January 2022, made 182 appearances, and leaves having won the Europa League in May. Ian Maatsen is now the only senior specialist left-back at the club, with a EUR 20m deal for Matteo Ruggeri agreed with Atletico Madrid and personal terms still to settle.
Source: Aston Villa (official club statement); Fabrizio Romano (X); BirminghamLiveDiario AS report that Villa have stepped forward with a proposal to take Endrick on loan for the coming season, putting them in direct competition with Roma, who had expected to lead the race. Real Madrid want a straight loan with no option to buy and would cover part of the Brazilian's EUR 5m-a-year salary. Villa are one of only three clubs sounded out by his representatives who are willing to take him on those terms, alongside Spurs and Fulham.
Source: Diario AS, relayed by Football ItaliaFabrizio Romano reported on August 8th that Aston Villa and Atletico Madrid have agreed a deal worth around EUR 20m for Matteo Ruggeri, and that the Italy left-back has given the move the green light with his own contract terms still being negotiated. Matteo Moretto reported the same morning that Ruggeri had accepted Villa's offer, removing the last major obstacle, while Ben Jacobs had personal terms not yet in place and the fee nearer GBP 17m. Marca put the structure at EUR 18m fixed plus EUR 6m in add-ons. Neither club has announced anything, so the move is not complete until Villa confirm it. Ruggeri, 24, would fill the hole left by Lucas Digne's move to Paris Saint-Germain, with Ian Maatsen otherwise the only senior specialist left-back at the club.
Source: Fabrizio Romano (X); Matteo Moretto, relayed by Read Aston Villa (James Chettle); Ben Jacobs (X)Damian Vidagany, Villa's director of football operations, told Sport BILD after Friday's friendly in Hong Kong that the club need a midfielder because Amadou Onana is out for the season and that João Palhinha “is a very good player who would fit our plans”. He added that the two clubs are in talks but that there is currently no agreement, and that anything that happens would rest on the respect between the clubs and Villa's relationship with Max Eberl and Christoph Freund. It is the first time Villa have addressed the pursuit publicly after a summer of links. Bayern want around EUR 25m for a permanent transfer, and a loan containing an option to buy has been discussed without the financial difference being resolved. Palhinha, 31, is contracted in Munich until 2028 and was named by Eberl on July 29th among the players with no future at the club.
Source: Damian Vidagany to Sport BILD, relayed by Get German Football News and BirminghamLiveCrystal Palace have reignited their interest in Evann Guessand and are among the clubs exploring a loan, Jacob Tanswell and Matt Woosnam reported for The Athletic on August 8th. Palace had decided earlier in the summer against pursuing the 25-year-old, but have held talks in recent days. Guessand spent the second half of last season at Selhurst Park, where Palace declined their option to buy him, and he has since fallen behind Alejandro Garnacho in Unai Emery's front line with Nicolas Jackson also under discussion. Trabzonspor and Marseille have both looked at loans of their own. Nothing has been lodged with Villa.
Source: Jacob Tanswell and Matt Woosnam (The Athletic)Unai Emery named Marco Bizot; Matty Cash, Victor Lindelöf, Pau Torres, and Ian Maatsen; Boubacar Kamara and João Gomes; Evann Guessand, Emiliano Buendía, and George Hemmings; Brian Madjo to face Bayern Munich at the Kai Tak Stadium in Hong Kong on August 7th, the last match of Villa's Far East tour. It is the first time Kamara and Gomes have started together in the double pivot, and John Townley of BirminghamLive expects that pairing to line up at Brighton on the opening weekend. It is also Kamara's first start since the knee injury he suffered on January 10th, and only his second appearance, having scored within a minute of coming on in Pathum Thani. Madjo leads the line having scored four times in pre-season and won his Court of Arbitration for Sport registration appeal on August 4th, with Buendía at the 10 and Guessand switched to the right wing after two matches through the middle. John McGinn and Alejandro Garnacho are both absent injured, and Emery left out Ross Barkley, Alysson, and Modou Kéba Cissé with the Super Cup against Paris Saint-Germain five days away.
Source: John Townley (BirminghamLive), confirmed team sheet; cross-checked against Athlon SportsCorriere di Bologna's Marco Vigarani reported on August 7th that Villa have gone back to Bologna over Jonathan Rowe, the knee injury John McGinn suffered in Thailand having sharpened the need for another wide attacker after Morgan Rogers' move to Chelsea. Nothing has passed the enquiry stage and no bid has been made. Bologna turned down a EUR 30m offer from Everton and are under no pressure to sell after banking the Santiago Castro fee, with reported valuations of the 23-year-old ranging from EUR 45m to EUR 60m.
Source: Corriere di Bologna (Marco Vigarani), relayed by Sport Witness and Read Aston Villa (James Chettle)Kim Min-jae headed Bayern in front on 36 minutes from Tom Bischof's free-kick and Luis Diaz made it two on 73, before Joao Gomes struck from the edge of the box on 82 to halve the deficit at the Kai Tak Stadium. Marco Bizot kept Villa in it with a double save on 66 minutes, denying Josip Stanisic and then Arijon Ibrahimovic from the rebound, and Evann Guessand volleyed wide of Manuel Neuer when Emiliano Buendia picked him out from a free-kick just before the hour. Boubacar Kamara came through an hour on his first start since January. Alejandro Garnacho and John McGinn were both left out injured. Villa play Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Super Cup in Salzburg on August 12th.
Source: BirminghamLive (John Townley)Tammy Abraham replaced Brian Madjo on 59 minutes against Bayern Munich, his first appearance of the summer after the shoulder operation that cost him every friendly to this point. He came closest to an equaliser late on, forcing Manuel Neuer into a save with a powerful header. Abraham had been named among the substitutes twice on the tour without getting on, and John Townley reported from Hong Kong that he has only recently returned to training.
Source: BirminghamLive (John Townley)John Townley reported in BirminghamLive on August 6th that Villa are confident John McGinn has avoided a serious injury to the left knee he landed on against BG Pathum United two days earlier. The captain was scanned after the match and the club are understood to be optimistic following further tests, although they will keep monitoring his condition and have put no return date on him. McGinn walked off the pitch under his own power on August 4th after being fouled in midfield, and was told to stay off by Unai Emery when he tried to return. Villa will assess him and Alejandro Garnacho, who was caught in the face in the same match, before Friday's friendly against Bayern Munich in Hong Kong. The midfield could ill afford another absence: Amadou Onana is out until around April 2027 after rupturing a cruciate ligament with Belgium at the World Cup, Johan Manzambi has no return date and will miss the Super Cup against Paris Saint-Germain on August 12th, and Boubacar Kamara only returned to action against BG Pathum after six months out.
Source: BirminghamLive (John Townley)Jacob Tanswell of The Athletic reported on August 6th that John McGinn is expected to be fit for Villa's opening Premier League fixture away to Brighton & Hove Albion on August 23rd. The scan on the left knee the captain landed on against BG Pathum United confirmed the club's early feeling that there is no serious issue, and Tanswell added that Villa are not ruling him out of the UEFA Super Cup against Paris Saint-Germain in Salzburg on August 12th. That is a firmer position than the one carried earlier in the day, when the club were said to be optimistic after further tests but had put no return date on him. McGinn was withdrawn on 78 minutes in Pathum Thani after being fouled in midfield and landing awkwardly, and had tried to return to the pitch before Unai Emery told him to come off.
Source: Jacob Tanswell (The Athletic)Ollie Watkins, Ezri Konsa, and Emiliano Martinez are due to report back at the start of next week, Matt Maher reported in the Express & Star on August 6th, with no word yet on whether any of the three will be involved in the UEFA Super Cup against Paris Saint-Germain in Salzburg on Wednesday. All three were still playing on the final weekend of the World Cup last month. Maher also wrote that scan results have confirmed no serious damage to the left knee John McGinn landed on against BG Pathum United and that Villa are confident the captain will be fit for the start of the Premier League season, but that he is unlikely to feature in Friday's friendly against Bayern Munich in Hong Kong, the last match of the Far East tour, and that it remains possible he misses the Super Cup. Johan Manzambi has still not met up with the squad as he recovers from the knee injury he picked up at the World Cup, and Alejandro Garnacho is being assessed after taking a blow to the face in Pathum Thani.
Source: Express & Star (Matt Maher)Ollie Watkins, Ezri Konsa, and Emiliano Martinez are due to report back at the start of next week, Matt Maher reported in the Express & Star on August 6th, with no word yet on whether any of the three will be involved in the UEFA Super Cup against Paris Saint-Germain in Salzburg on Wednesday. All three were still playing on the final weekend of the World Cup last month. Maher also wrote that scan results have confirmed no serious damage to the left knee John McGinn landed on against BG Pathum United and that Villa are confident the captain will be fit for the start of the Premier League season, but that he is unlikely to feature in Friday's friendly against Bayern Munich in Hong Kong, the last match of the Far East tour, and that it remains possible he misses the Super Cup. Johan Manzambi has still not met up with the squad as he recovers from the knee injury he picked up at the World Cup, and Alejandro Garnacho is being assessed after taking a blow to the face in Pathum Thani.
Source: Express & Star (Matt Maher)UEFA have published the 23-man squad Villa registered for the Super Cup against Paris Saint-Germain in Salzburg on August 12th, and it names only four midfielders: Ross Barkley, John McGinn, Boubacar Kamara, and João Gomes. Lamare Bogarde is registered among the nine defenders rather than in midfield. Johan Manzambi is absent as he continues his knee rehabilitation, and Brian Madjo misses out despite winning his Court of Arbitration for Sport appeal on August 4th and scoring four times in pre-season. Four goalkeepers are named, among them the 18-year-old Owen Asemota, and Kosta Nedeljković, Modou Kéba Cissé, and Alysson are all included. Lucas Digne and Leon Bailey, both closing on moves away, are not.
Source: UEFA (official squad list); John Townley (BirminghamLive), relayed by Read Aston VillaBoubacar Kamara gave his first interview since returning from a seven-month absence, speaking after the 3-1 friendly win over BG Pathum United in Pathum Thani on August 4th in which he came off the bench on 61 minutes and scored a minute later. “It felt good to be back. I have been waiting for this moment,” the midfielder said, adding that he had worked hard through his rehabilitation so that he could come back stronger, that he had not expected to score, and that the goal was good for his head and his confidence. He also described the conditions in Thailand as difficult to breathe in but good for the body. BirminghamLive report that the injury was to his knee ligaments, sustained in a challenge with João Palhinha in the FA Cup tie against Tottenham Hotspur on January 10th. His return gives Unai Emery a senior body in a pivot that has lost Youri Tielemans to Manchester United, Amadou Onana to a cruciate injury until the spring, and Johan Manzambi to the knee problem that will keep him out of the August 12th Super Cup.
Source: BirminghamLiveLeon Bailey's stalled move to Hull City is on again, according to BirminghamLive, whose read of the situation rests on the Hull chairman Acun Ilicali himself. At 11pm BST on August 4th Ilicali posted an updated transfer list on X naming Jack Butland, Oscar Zambrano, Matt Targett, and Hidemasa Morita, then listing six more targets by nationality flag alone with a green tick beside each. The last of them is Jamaican, and Bailey is the Jamaica international Hull have chased all summer. In the post before it Ilicali wrote that some of the ticked deals are fully agreed and in the paperwork process, without saying which. Nobody has reported a fee or personal terms and Bailey is not named, so this is a revival of talks rather than a completed deal. The winger has a year left on his contract, is not expected to be offered a new one, and stayed in England rather than joining the Far East tour while his future is resolved.
Source: BirminghamLive / Acun Ilicali (X)There is no definitive return date for Johan Manzambi, BirminghamLive reported on the morning of August 5th, relaying The Athletic, although the club-record signing is believed to be sidelined for weeks rather than months. The 20-year-old has not played for Villa since arriving from SC Freiburg, having hurt his knee with Switzerland at the World Cup, and he will certainly miss the UEFA Super Cup against Paris Saint-Germain in Salzburg on August 12th. A layoff measured in weeks, starting eighteen days before the Premier League opener at Brighton & Hove Albion on August 23rd, leaves that fixture in doubt rather than in prospect; a day earlier the opener had been described as the target. Villa are also waiting on John McGinn's knee and Alejandro Garnacho's facial injury, both of which will be assessed before Friday's friendly against Bayern Munich in Hong Kong.
Source: The Athletic, relayed by BirminghamLiveHull City's move for Leon Bailey is back on and could be firmed up within a day, Hull Live's Hull City correspondent Barry Cooper reported on the morning of August 5th. Talks over the previous twenty-four hours involving the winger and the Hull owner Acun Ilicali have pushed the deal through, and Bailey is now expected to undergo a medical with the Tigers this afternoon, with both clubs working to complete the transfer before the weekend. Hull had come close to pulling out at the weekend, frustrated by the pace of negotiations and by added complications, and the manager Sergej Jakirovic told Hull Live in Istanbul that he did not know whether it would be finalised. Bailey is understood to have pushed for the move himself, and Hull expect it done before their trip to Frankfurt this weekend. Neither club has announced anything, and no fee or personal terms have been reported.
Source: Hull Live (Barry Cooper)Aston Villa expect Arsenal to come back with another offer for Ezri Konsa, Tom Collomosse of Mail Sport reported on August 5th, and are working at the same time to persuade the England defender to sign a new contract. Arsenal have pursued Konsa throughout the summer as Mikel Arteta looks for defensive cover with William Saliba facing the prospect of surgery, and Villa have resisted throughout, treating the Gunners' opening position as well below their own valuation of a player Unai Emery leans on. Konsa's present deal runs to 2028, so Villa are under no contractual pressure to sell, but the prospect of an improved offer sharpens the case for agreeing fresh terms now. Villa have already lost Morgan Rogers and Youri Tielemans this summer, and have shown no appetite for another departure at a discount, holding firm on their valuation of Emiliano Martínez until Juventus abandoned their pursuit earlier this week.
Source: Tom Collomosse (Mail Sport), relayed by Read Aston Villa (James Chettle)Emiliano Martínez has never asked to leave Villa Park, his representative Gustavo Goñi of Universal TwentyTwo told Sky Sports News on August 5th, and is happy at the club and looking forward to a season back in the Champions League. Goñi said that held through Manchester United's interest last summer and through approaches from Juventus and Inter this time around, that it is normal for big clubs to want one of the best goalkeepers in the world, and that Martínez will only move with Villa's blessing and on terms that suit all parties. He also thanked the owner Nassef Sawiris for his support and guidance. The statement follows Juventus abandoning their pursuit on August 2nd over the cost of the deal, having agreed personal terms with the 33-year-old but never bridged a gap between their €6.5m loan-with-obligation and Villa's €12m valuation, and it sits awkwardly beside both Luciano Spalletti's claim on July 26th that Martínez wanted to change clubs and TuttoJuve's report on August 4th that he was frustrated the move fell through.
Source: Gustavo Goñi via Lyall Thomas (Sky Sports News)Villa's remaining World Cup players, among them the record signing Johan Manzambi, are due to report to Bodymoor Heath ahead of the UEFA Super Cup meeting with Paris Saint-Germain in Salzburg on August 12th, Matt Maher reported in the Express & Star on August 4th. Emiliano Martínez, Ollie Watkins, and Ezri Konsa all went deep into the tournament and have yet to feature in pre-season. Maher adds that Lucas Digne, who has already signed for Paris, is expected to formally complete that move when he returns from his own post-tournament break next week — eight days before the two clubs meet in Austria.
Source: Express & Star (Matt Maher)Villa have opened negotiations for the Atlético Madrid left-back Matteo Ruggeri and the deal could move quickly, Matteo Moretto reported in Marca on the morning of August 4th. Ruggeri's agents met the Atlético sporting director Mateu Alemany before watching training on Monday afternoon and again on Tuesday, sessions from which the 24-year-old was left out of the starting group, and Moretto writes that the decision now sits with the player as he weighs Villa's offer. Atlético placed him on the transferable list at the start of the summer, are covered at left-back by David Hancko and the newly signed Alejandro Grimaldo, and would bank a profit on the €17m paid to Atalanta a year ago. The move addresses Villa's most obvious gap: Lucas Digne has signed for Paris Saint-Germain and is due to complete that switch next week, leaving Ian Maatsen as the only senior specialist, while the pursuit of Milan's Pervis Estupiñán remains held up by Rúben Amorim's wish to assess him through pre-season. Ruggeri started 20 La Liga matches and 13 of Atlético's 16 Champions League ties last season and was the club's leading assist provider with seven.
Source: Matteo Moretto (Marca)Villa confirmed on the morning of August 4th that their appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport over the registration of Brian Madjo has been upheld, lifting the block that has kept the club's £10m January signing from playing a competitive match. FIFA had refused to approve the transfer under Article 19 of its Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players, which prohibits the international transfer of players under 18 and, since Brexit, no longer allows English clubs to use the exemption covering moves within the European Union for 16 and 17-year-olds. Villa's case rested on Madjo's own circumstances: he was born in Enfield, is a UK citizen, and left England as a young child when his parents moved to Luxembourg. The hearing was held on July 1st and the club had been waiting on a verdict ever since. Madjo, who turns 18 in January 2027, joined from Metz in January and has been the story of pre-season without being able to play for anything, scoring four times, including a brace in the 5-0 win at Walsall, the equaliser against Real Sociedad and Villa's third in Jakarta. The ruling removes the obstacle to his registration and puts him in contention for the UEFA Super Cup against Paris Saint-Germain in Salzburg on August 12th, a match for which he had been ineligible while the FIFA decision stood.
Source: Aston Villa (official statement)Boubacar Kamara is in an Aston Villa matchday squad for the first time since the serious knee injury he suffered at Tottenham Hotspur in January, named among the substitutes for the friendly against BG Pathum United at the True BG Stadium in Pathum Thani on August 4th. Tammy Abraham is also back in the squad after shoulder surgery, his first involvement of pre-season. John Townley of BirminghamLive confirmed the team sheet at 1.33pm BST, with Unai Emery starting Marco Bizot; Matty Cash, Carroll, Victor Lindelöf, Rowe; Lamare Bogarde, João Gomes; Alysson, Emiliano Buendía, Alejandro Garnacho; Evann Guessand. Neither Kamara nor Abraham had featured in any of Villa's five previous pre-season matches, and Jacob Tanswell of The Athletic had reported on August 1st that Kamara hoped to play at some point on the Far East tour. Kick-off was put back around an hour by the weather, with Bayern Munich in Hong Kong on August 7th the last fixture of the tour.
Source: BirminghamLive (John Townley)Boubacar Kamara replaced Lamare Bogarde on 61 minutes at the True BG Stadium and scored from the edge of the box a minute later, his first appearance since the knee injury he suffered at Tottenham Hotspur in January. Emiliano Buendía had swept Villa ahead on 12 minutes and Victor Lindelöf headed in Alysson's corner on 31 minutes before BG Pathum United pulled one back on 83. Villa finish the tour against Bayern Munich in Hong Kong on August 7th.
Source: BirminghamLive (John Townley)Villa's captain was fouled in midfield in the second half at the True BG Stadium, landed awkwardly on his left knee and was withdrawn on 78 minutes. John Townley of BirminghamLive reported that McGinn stood on the touchline appearing ready to return before Unai Emery waved him off. No diagnosis has been published. McGinn had struck the woodwork from 30 yards earlier in the half. Villa open the Premier League season at Brighton & Hove Albion on August 23rd.
Source: BirminghamLive (John Townley)Aston Villa will check on the fitness of John McGinn and Alejandro Garnacho after both were withdrawn from Tuesday's 3-1 pre-season win over BG Pathum United in Bangkok. Matt Maher, the Express & Star's chief sports writer, reported at 4.50pm BST that Garnacho went off before the interval after taking a stray elbow to the face, and that McGinn hurt his left knee in the second half, walking off after treatment and appearing ready to return before Unai Emery ordered him to stay off for the rest of the match. Both players will be assessed ahead of Friday's meeting with Bayern Munich in Hong Kong, the final match of Villa's tour of the Far East. No diagnosis has been published for either man, and the season opener at Brighton & Hove Albion is on August 23rd.
Source: Express & Star (Matt Maher)The old North Stand roof at Villa Park has been removed in full, the clearest visual marker yet of the club's £100m redevelopment. Read Aston Villa reported on August 4th, carrying footage filmed over the weekend and first published by Football Ground Guide, that the final sections of the roof structure have gone and that the heavy-lift crane used for the demolition has finished its work and is itself being dismantled. Steelwork is going in near the Holte End corners and crews are preparing foundations between the North Stand and the Trinity Road Stand. The stand stays closed for the whole of the 2026-27 season and is due to reopen for 2027-28, adding more than 5,500 seats and taking Villa Park beyond a 50,000 capacity.
Source: Read Aston Villa (James Chettle) / Football Ground GuideJohan Manzambi will not be fit for Villa's UEFA Super Cup meeting with Paris Saint-Germain at Stadion Salzburg on August 12th, Jacob Tanswell of The Athletic reported on August 4th. The 20-year-old, a club-record signing from Freiburg, is still recovering from the knee injury he suffered on international duty at the World Cup and is working with the knee specialist Jurdan Mendiguchia in Spain; Tanswell reports that Villa have been impressed by his attitude and approach to the rehabilitation. The absence denies Emery his record arrival for the club's first competitive fixture of the season, in a midfield already reshaped by Youri Tielemans' departure and Amadou Onana's cruciate injury.
Source: Jacob Tanswell (The Athletic)Read Aston Villa's James Chettle reported at 7.20pm BST on August 4th, relaying Football Insider, that Leon Bailey's proposed permanent move to Hull City has collapsed and that the newly promoted club are no longer expected to complete the deal after weeks of negotiations. Villa are considering alternative destinations, with several Saudi Pro League clubs said to be monitoring the 28-year-old, though no club has been named. Villa want a permanent sale rather than another loan: Bailey is in the final year of his contract and was held back from the Far East tour specifically so his future could be resolved. Hull manager Sergej Jakirovic had said on August 1st that the process was "very, very slow". Neither club has confirmed the position.
Source: Football Insider, via Read Aston Villa (James Chettle)Villa's pursuit of the Milan left-back Pervis Estupiñán has stopped, and Matteo Ruggeri is now the move they are pushing. Matteo Moretto, reporting on Fabrizio Romano's YouTube channel on August 4th, said Villa have spent the last hours working to agree a fee with Atlético Madrid for Ruggeri and are close to striking it, with the Italian's own decision the outstanding question. Moretto framed that move as one that could definitively block the Estupiñán transfer: Milan's new head coach Ruben Amorim had asked to assess the Ecuadorian in training before sanctioning a sale, and Moretto reports that Villa grew tired of waiting and turned to Ruggeri instead. Estupiñán had agreed personal terms on a five-year deal, but the clubs never closed a gap around €20m. Matt Maher reported in the Express & Star the same afternoon that talks with Milan had stalled and that Ruggeri was an alternative, with left-back Villa's clearest vacancy: Paris Saint-Germain have triggered an £8m release clause in Lucas Digne's contract, leaving Ian Maatsen as the only senior specialist three weeks before the opener at Brighton.
Source: Matteo Moretto (Fabrizio Romano's YouTube), relayed by MilanNewsRead Aston Villa reported on the evening of August 4th, relaying the Italian outlet TuttoJuve, that Emiliano Martínez has been left unhappy that no agreement could be reached over a move to Juventus. The goalkeeper had hoped to leave for Turin this summer and was one of the club's leading targets in that position, but Villa refused to lower their valuation after rejecting an offer worth around €6m to €7m, and AS reported this week that Juventus abandoned the pursuit because the financial demands were considered too high. Fabrizio Romano had reported on August 2nd that Juventus formally informed Villa they would not proceed. Martínez is contracted until 2029, and with Morgan Rogers and Youri Tielemans already sold this summer Villa were under no obligation to sanction another senior departure. This is a single Italian report on the player's mood rather than a fresh development in the deal, which remains off; he stays Villa's first-choice goalkeeper going into the Champions League season.
Source: Read Aston Villa (James Chettle), relaying TuttoJuveBirminghamLive reported on August 3rd that Hull City are considering withdrawing from their pursuit of Leon Bailey, with no agreement reached and the move stalled. Hull owner Acun Ilicali had said on July 30th that the winger was days from completing a permanent transfer, but nothing followed it. Bailey remains open to leaving and Villa still want a permanent sale, having left him out of the squad for the Far East tour so he could resolve his future. Whether Hull can revive the deal is unclear. The 28-year-old has one year left on his contract, started three Premier League matches last season, and scored once in 19 appearances, so this window is Villa's last opportunity to recoup a fee on the £30m signing of 2021.
Source: BirminghamLiveL'Équipe reported on August 3rd that Villa have made an enquiry about Igor Paixão, the Marseille winger who became the French club's record signing a year ago. No bid has been submitted and there is no suggestion Marseille have decided to sell. The 26-year-old Brazilian arrived from Feyenoord last August for a fee L'Équipe put at €35m including bonuses and is under contract to 2030. He scored six times with five assists in 30 Ligue 1 appearances in his first season and added four goals in eight Champions League matches, playing mainly from the left. The enquiry follows Villa's €30m offer for Palmeiras winger Allan being rejected on July 29th and comes with Leon Bailey's move to Hull City stalled. Price is the immediate obstacle. Santi Aouna reported on August 1st that Marseille owner Frank McCourt wants €50m before considering a departure, the same valuation that has held up Leeds United, who have Paixão third on their shortlist.
Source: L'Équipe, via Read Aston VillaJuventus have informed Villa that they will not proceed with a deal for Emiliano Martínez, Fabrizio Romano reported on the morning of August 2nd. The decision was taken internally days earlier and has now been confirmed to the club, with Juventus judging the costs of the transfer too high. Personal terms had been agreed some time ago — La Gazzetta dello Sport reported on July 29th that the 33-year-old had settled on a three-year contract worth around €5m a season plus bonuses — but the two clubs never closed the gap between Juventus's proposal of around €6.5m in a loan with an obligation to buy and Villa's €12m valuation. The World Cup winner stays at Villa Park as Unai Emery's first-choice goalkeeper.
Source: Fabrizio Romano (X)Jacob Tanswell of The Athletic set out three strands of Villa's tour picture on August 1st, shortly before kick-off against the Indonesia All Stars in Jakarta. Boubacar Kamara, who has not played since a knee injury in January and travelled to Asia without featuring in any of the three home friendlies, hopes to feature at some point on the tour, which takes in BG Pathum United in Thailand on August 4th and Bayern Munich in Hong Kong on August 7th. Three young players did not travel: Jamaldeen Jimoh, Ben Broggio, and Aidan Borland have all remained in England to explore options elsewhere. Tanswell also addressed Evann Guessand, who started as the No. 9 in Jakarta, writing that the plan from the player's side had been to go through pre-season and try to convince Unai Emery he was worth involving this season, perhaps in a slightly different role.
Source: Jacob Tanswell (The Athletic)Aston Villa beat an Indonesia All Stars side 3-1 at the Gelora Bung Karno in Jakarta on August 1st to open their three-country pre-season tour. Emiliano Buendia scored inside three minutes, sweeping in a cut-back from Kosta Nedeljkovic, and Ross Barkley added a second a minute before half-time with a left-footed drive from the edge of the box. Unai Emery changed ten outfield players at the break, leaving only the goalkeeper James Wright on the pitch, and the substitute Brian Madjo made it three in the 55th minute after Luka Lynch played him in. Arkhan Kaka pulled one back for the hosts on 82 minutes. Alejandro Garnacho made his Villa debut on the left of a 4-2-3-1 that also started Victor Lindelof in the pivot alongside Barkley, with John McGinn and Buendia inside and Evann Guessand leading the line, and he would have marked it with a goal had Buendia squared late in the first half. Pau Torres, making his second appearance of pre-season, headed two McGinn corners off target. Villa travel on to Bangkok to face BG Pathum United on August 4th and then to Hong Kong for Bayern Munich on August 7th.
Source: BirminghamLive (John Townley)A development-squad Villa XI lost 3-2 at Shrewsbury Town on Saturday afternoon, in the friendly written into the agreement that sent goalkeeper Sam Proctor to the Croud Meadow on a season-long loan. Josh Davison scored twice with his head inside the opening quarter of an hour before Will Boyle's backpass slipped under Proctor for an own goal, and Ben Broggio equalised in the 54th minute with a curled finish from inside the area. Isaac Fletcher won it soon after with a 25-yard strike off the inside of the post. Proctor, playing against his parent club, denied Jamaldeen Jimoh in the first half and blocked from Samuel Iling-Junior in the second, while Blade Earley made several saves at the other end. Tommi O'Reilly, Aidan Borland, Rodrigo Fortes, Kane Taylor, and Rory Wilson also started for Villa, whose senior squad were in Jakarta the same day.
Source: Shrewsbury Town FC (official match report)July 2026
Unai Emery's squad touched down at Soekarno-Hatta Airport on July 30th ahead of the opening leg of Villa's three-country tour, and Read Aston Villa reported on July 31st that Alejandro Garnacho, Pau Torres, Evann Guessand, Boubacar Kamara, Alysson, Tammy Abraham and captain John McGinn were all among the travelling party, with Brian Madjo and Ross Barkley also pictured. The four players working back from injury making the trip is the clearest sign yet of progress: Torres came through the first 45 minutes against Real Sociedad on July 28th having missed the opening two friendlies, while Kamara has not featured in pre-season at all since the knee problem that ended his last campaign and Abraham is still building fitness after a shoulder issue. McGinn only rejoined training at Bodymoor Heath this week after the World Cup. Villa posted footage of their first session in Jakarta on July 31st and face Indonesia All Stars on August 1st, BG Pathum United in Thailand on August 4th and Bayern Munich in Hong Kong on August 7th, three matches in six days that Emery is expected to rotate heavily. Leon Bailey, whose permanent move to Hull City is close, stayed behind in England.
Source: Read Aston Villa (James Chettle)Hull City owner Acun Ilicali confirmed that Leon Bailey is due to complete his transfer from Villa shortly, with the winger expected to join the newly promoted club permanently on a long-term contract. Bailey was made available this summer after an unhappy loan at Roma ended in an early recall, and he was left out of the squad that travelled to the Far East. He started three Premier League matches last season and scored once in 19 appearances. Neither club has announced the move and the fee has not been disclosed.
Source: BirminghamLiveMarseille will prioritise Toulouse goalkeeper Guillaume Restes, Get French Football News reported on July 30th relaying Foot Mercato, with Geronimo Rulli close to a move to Manchester City. Villa held talks with the 21-year-old's representatives in June, according to The Athletic, having identified him as a serious option should Emiliano Martinez leave. Toulouse value Restes at around GBP 20m and are open to a sale. Villa would prefer to keep Martinez and the search only becomes pressing if a reasonable offer for the Argentine arrives.
Source: Get French Football NewsHarvey Elliott has spoken publicly for the first time about a loan spell at Villa Park that ended without a permanent move. The Liverpool midfielder joined last season under an agreement carrying a reported £35m obligation to buy that would have been triggered by a tenth appearance; he made nine across all competitions and returned to Anfield in the summer. Speaking to the Daily Mail after featuring in Liverpool's pre-season win over Wrexham, Elliott described the experience as "mentally, a very tough one" and said he would not wish the situation on another player, while making clear he holds no resentment towards Unai Emery or the club. The comments were carried across the national press on July 30th.
Source: Read Aston Villa (Daily Mail interview)Aston Villa have had an offer for the Palmeiras winger Allan rejected, ESPN Brasil reported on the evening of July 28th. The bid was worth €25m up front with a further €5m in guaranteed bonuses — around R$175m, or roughly £25.7m — and Palmeiras turned it down immediately, informing the Premier League club that the 22-year-old is not for sale. The Brazilian champions, who lead the Brasilão, will not negotiate players Abel Ferreira considers central to the side, a position set by club president Leila Pereira. Allan, a right-sided forward, has ten goal contributions in 34 appearances this season. Villa remain in the market for another attacking player after Morgan Rogers's £117m sale to Chelsea: Alejandro Garnacho has arrived on loan from Chelsea to fill the left flank, Evann Guessand is expected to be allowed to leave and Leon Bailey is in discussions with Hull City. BirminghamLive reported on July 29th that Villa have not ruled out returning with an improved offer.
Source: ESPN Brasil, relayed by BirminghamLiveAlejandro Garnacho has travelled with Unai Emery's squad for Villa's three-country Far East tour and could play his first minutes as a Villa player against an Indonesia All Stars side in Jakarta on August 1st, the Express & Star reported on July 29th. The 22-year-old, who joined on a season-long loan from Chelsea with a conditional obligation to buy, trained with his new colleagues for the first time on Monday and was not risked in the 4-2 friendly defeat to Real Sociedad at the Bescot Stadium. Villa play the Indonesia All Stars at the Gelora Bung Karno on Saturday, BG Pathum United in Thailand on Tuesday and Bayern Munich at Hong Kong's Kai Tak Stadium on August 7th. John McGinn, back in training after his World Cup break, also sat out against Real Sociedad, while there was still no sign of Boubacar Kamara as the midfielder continues his knee comeback.
Source: Express & Star (Lewis Cox)Villa's pursuit of Joao Palhinha has stalled, with the Bayern Munich midfielder now open to staying in Germany. Nico Linner of BILD reported on July 29th that Palhinha has never given up on establishing himself at Bayern and that, after the club failed to reach an agreement with any of the interested sides, he has become increasingly willing to stay and fight for his place - echoing his own words this week that his plan was to keep his position there. SPORT1 reported the same day that selling the 31-year-old is Bayern's top internal priority, ahead of Sacha Boey and Bryan Zaragoza, but that Max Eberl held firm on the fee in negotiations with Tottenham and the deal fell through; Bayern paid around EUR 50m for him two years ago and he earns roughly EUR 10m a year. Villa's position is unchanged - BILD reported on July 24th that they will not pay the EUR 25m, around GBP 21.7m, Bayern want and have pushed for a loan with an option to buy, while Bayern want an outright sale after last season's Tottenham loan ended without a purchase. Sporting director Christoph Freund confirmed on July 26th that Palhinha is outside Vincent Kompany's plans, so an exit remains Bayern's intention, but neither club has moved on the structure. Villa signed Joao Gomes from Wolves for GBP 38m this month and lost Amadou Onana to an anterior cruciate ligament rupture at the World Cup.
Source: Nico Linner (BILD) and SPORT1, via Bavarian Football WorksLeon Bailey will not travel with Unai Emery's squad for Villa's tour of Asia, Jacob Tanswell of The Athletic reported on the evening of July 29th as the party flew to Indonesia. The winger is staying in England while negotiations continue over his departure, Tanswell describing the situation as amicable and the decision as one taken because it is better for Bailey to remain in the UK to help a move along. He will continue training at Bodymoor Heath in the meantime. Hull City are the club in discussions, and Sky Sports News reported earlier on July 29th that they are edging closer to completing the signing, although Tanswell said the same morning that nothing had yet been agreed. Bailey, in the final year of his contract, was left out of the 4-2 friendly defeat to Real Sociedad on July 28th with muscle tightness picked up at Porto, Villa choosing not to risk a player whose future lies elsewhere. Both club and player intend a permanent exit, and the fee would help fund the additional wide attacker Villa want after Alejandro Garnacho's arrival.
Source: Jacob Tanswell (The Athletic)Juventus and Aston Villa remain at a standstill over Emiliano Martínez, La Gazzetta dello Sport reported on July 29th in coverage relayed by Football Italia. Villa want at least €12m for the 33-year-old and Juventus are unwilling to match it, despite an agreement in principle on personal terms with the goalkeeper having been in place for some weeks. Martínez has been handed an extended break after Argentina's run to the World Cup final and is not expected back in training for another few weeks, leaving Juventus unable to reopen club-to-club negotiations until deep into August. Turin have responded by re-evaluating Tottenham's Guglielmo Vicario and by adding Freiburg's Noah Atubolu, a goalkeeper Villa themselves have been tracking, to their shortlist.
Source: La Gazzetta dello Sport via Football ItaliaVilla confirmed on July 28th that goalkeeper Joe Gauci has joined Lincoln City on a season-long loan. The Australia international spent last season at Port Vale, making 41 appearances at Vale Park, and had previously been loaned to Barnsley after arriving from Adelaide United in February 2024. He is yet to play a league match for Villa, and his departure leaves Emiliano Martinez and Marco Bizot as the senior goalkeeping pair at Bodymoor Heath.
Source: Aston Villa (official)Leon Bailey was left out of Villa's squad for the pre-season friendly with Real Sociedad at the Bescot Stadium on July 28th, with Jacob Tanswell of The Athletic reporting that the winger had felt muscle tightness in the previous match at Porto and that, his future understood to lie elsewhere, the club chose not to risk him. Asked whether the omission meant a departure was imminent, Tanswell said Bailey would likely leave but that nothing was done yet, and that the move was progressing. Earlier the same day he had reported that the 28-year-old is in the final year of his contract, that both player and club intend a permanent exit, and that Hull City have yet to agree salary terms or a fee - a departure that would help Villa fund the additional attacker they want following Alejandro Garnacho's arrival. There was encouragement elsewhere in the team news: Pau Torres was named among the substitutes, a first involvement of pre-season after the problem he picked up in the opening days of training. Unai Emery again named a young side, with Marco Bizot in goal, Matty Cash and Ian Maatsen at full-back either side of Modou Cisse and Tyrone Mings, Joao Gomes and Ross Barkley in midfield and Emiliano Buendia joining the teenagers Bradley Burrowes, George Hemmings and Brian Madjo in attack. Garnacho was not in the squad despite returning to full training on July 27th, and Johan Manzambi, Boubacar Kamara and the World Cup contingent remain unavailable.
Source: Jacob Tanswell (The Athletic)Aston Villa lost 4-2 to Real Sociedad at the Bescot Stadium on July 28th in their final pre-season fixture before flying to the Far East, BirminghamLive reported. George Hemmings curled Villa in front in the 14th minute, sweeping the ball in off the far post, before Carlos Soler equalised. Orri Oskarsson put the Spanish side ahead after the break, converting at the back post following a deflected free-kick, and Brian Madjo levelled on 56 minutes with a close-range finish after neat work from Emiliano Buendia - a third goal in two pre-season starts for the forward, who remains unregistered pending a CAS ruling. Gorka Carrera restored Real Sociedad's lead on 66 minutes and the substitute goalkeeper James Wright spilled a cross late on to concede a fourth. Unai Emery again leaned on youth, starting Bradley Burrowes on the right and Hemmings on the left either side of Buendia, with Marco Bizot in goal and Modou Cisse partnering Tyrone Mings. There was encouragement in the personnel: Pau Torres came on at half-time for his first 45 minutes of pre-season after the knock picked up in the opening days of training, and Joao Gomes completed 75 minutes in the pivot. Leon Bailey was left out with muscle tightness and Alejandro Garnacho was again absent, with Johan Manzambi, Boubacar Kamara and the World Cup contingent still unavailable.
Source: BirminghamLive (John Townley)Florian Plettenberg of Sky Sport Germany reported on the evening of July 27th that Aston Villa are still in direct talks with both Nicolas Jackson's representatives and Chelsea, working towards either a permanent transfer or a loan, and that no agreement has been reached on either route. It is the clearest indication yet that Villa's pursuit of the Senegal striker has moved beyond an enquiry into live negotiation on two fronts, and it cuts against earlier coverage suggesting the 24-year-old intended to stay at Stamford Bridge and prove himself under Xabi Alonso. Villa have been reported ready to break the £59.5m club record they set for Johan Manzambi this month, with Chelsea valuing Jackson at around £65m; no formal bid has yet been lodged. Unai Emery gave Jackson his breakthrough at Villarreal before Chelsea signed him in 2023, and the striker spent last season on loan at Bayern Munich, who declined a purchase option.
Source: Florian Plettenberg (Sky Sport Germany)John McGinn, Evann Guessand and Alejandro Garnacho all trained with the first team at Bodymoor Heath on July 27th, Read Aston Villa reported on the evening of the same day, relaying Talk Villa. McGinn reported back on Monday after an extended break that followed his World Cup involvement, and Guessand returned from his own post-tournament holiday facing an uncertain future after Crystal Palace declined to make last season’s loan permanent. Garnacho completed his first full session since the season-long loan from Chelsea was confirmed on July 23rd, and Tuesday’s friendly with Real Sociedad at the Bescot Stadium may offer his first minutes in claret and blue. There was further encouragement elsewhere: Alysson trained again after missing the 2-1 defeat at Porto with a knock, while Emiliano Buendía and Boubacar Kamara continued their work on the grass. Unai Emery will assess the group before naming a squad for July 28th, with several players who went deep into the World Cup still due additional recovery time before the Asia tour.
Source: Read Aston Villa (James Chettle), relaying Talk VillaPau Torres has not featured in either of Villa's opening pre-season friendlies, against Walsall on July 21st and Porto on July 25th, and his absence from training footage prompted unsourced social-media claims that the Spain defender had ruptured a knee ligament. Emiliano Buendía replied publicly beneath one such post, telling the account to "be serious and have the right information" before making that kind of claim; the original post was deleted. Villa have announced no injury and Unai Emery has not been asked to clarify the absence, so the centre-back's fitness remains unexplained rather than a confirmed problem. Emery used Tyrone Mings alongside academy defender Modou Cissé at the Estádio do Dragão.
Source: Read Aston VillaBirmingham City Council has put Villa Park at the centre of a 20-year draft Local Plan for the Witton and Aston neighbourhoods, formally backing the club's stadium redevelopment and the permanent capacity increase to the North Stand. The framework pairs the ground with Aston Hall and Aston Park to build a single visitor destination, earmarks the Witton Lane commercial units and the adjacent car park for redevelopment, targets underused industrial land along Tame Road for new housing, and demands a full overhaul of Witton Station, whose narrow platforms, poor matchday lighting and overcrowding the plan criticises directly. New pedestrian routes to Aston Station, pedestrian-priority streets and an end to pavement parking are proposed to ease matchday congestion. The draft goes before the council's cabinet on July 28th.
Source: BirminghamLiveLuciano Spalletti has publicly confirmed that Emiliano Martínez remains a Juventus target, four days after Italian reporting had the Serie A club widening its goalkeeper search to Guglielmo Vicario, Zion Suzuki and Noah Atubolu. Speaking after a pre-season win over Standard Liege on July 26th, Spalletti said Juventus want to add competitiveness between the posts and that Martínez “can probably change club”, while cautioning that the club must work “carefully and prudently in the transfer market”. Matteo Moretto reported the same day that the Argentina goalkeeper is still Juventus’ first-choice option and that the coming week will be important, but that the clubs remain far apart on a fee: GOAL report Villa want between €10m and €15m, against the €5m to €6m Juventus are prepared to pay. Martínez, who turns 34 in September, is contracted at Villa Park until June 2029 and is still on leave after Argentina’s run to the World Cup final, having been among the senior internationals unavailable for Villa’s opening pre-season fixtures. Unai Emery is expected to seek clarity once he reports back.
Source: Read Aston Villa (James Chettle)Jacob Tanswell of The Athletic has set out the extent of Villa's pre-season absences, reporting on July 26th that Pau Torres is injured, that the problem was sustained within the first few days of the club's preparations and that the response at the time was that it was not a major injury. No return date has been given. The Spain defender has missed the meetings with Walsall and Porto, and that absence had fed an unsubstantiated social-media claim that he had ruptured an anterior cruciate ligament — a claim Emi Buendia publicly rejected earlier the same day, urging supporters to wait for accurate information. Tanswell's update also accounts for three more absentees: Alysson picked up a knock last week, Buendia's workload is being managed after he started against Walsall but sat out the 2-1 defeat in Porto, and Tammy Abraham continues rehabilitation on a shoulder problem with no confirmed return date. Unai Emery has leaned on academy players in the meantime, with Modou Cissé partnering Tyrone Mings at Porto and Luka Lynch scoring in a second consecutive match. Villa will assess Torres before deciding whether he can feature against Real Sociedad on July 28th.
Source: Read Aston Villa (James Chettle), reporting Jacob Tanswell of The AthleticAston Villa lost 2-1 at FC Porto on July 25th in their second pre-season friendly, BirminghamLive reported. William Gomes volleyed the Portuguese champions ahead inside five minutes at the Estadio do Dragao before Luka Lynch levelled on 12 minutes, the 19-year-old drilling a left-footed finish across the goalkeeper after Lamare Bogarde won the ball back — his second goal in as many pre-season games. Pepe settled it four minutes before half-time, scoring at the near post after Villa failed to clear a free-kick conceded by Ian Maatsen. Unai Emery fielded a heavily rotated side with his World Cup contingent still to return and Johan Manzambi and Alysson unavailable, handing starts to the teenagers George Hemmings and Brad Burrowes either side of Lynch. Leon Bailey, who has been told he can leave and is in talks with Hull City, was withdrawn after 23 minutes for the academy winger Ben Broggio with no injury announced by the club; Ross Barkley was booked before making way at half-time for Joao Gomes, who made his first appearance since signing from Wolves. Villa next face Real Sociedad at the Bescot Stadium on July 28th.
Source: BirminghamLive (John Townley)Aston Villa have lost set-piece coach Austin MacPhee to Chelsea, ending a five-year spell at Villa Park, Read Aston Villa reported on July 24th. The 46-year-old said his goodbyes to players and staff on Friday and will join Chelsea's backroom team under Xabi Alonso. MacPhee arrived in August 2021 under Dean Smith and stayed through Steven Gerrard's tenure before becoming a valued part of Unai Emery's staff, his detailed corner and free-kick routines central to Villa's rise — only Arsenal scored more set-piece goals across Europe's major leagues over the three seasons of one analysis, and his training-ground routine created Youri Tielemans's opener in last season's Europa League final. His exit is the latest change in a busy summer and hands Villa the task of finding a replacement before the August 23rd opener at Brighton.
Source: Read Aston Villa (John Townley)Aston Villa's move for Pervis Estupiñán has been paused, with the Ecuador left-back reporting to Milanello ahead of AC Milan's pre-season tour, Inside Futbol reported on July 24th. The Italian journalist Daniele Longo says Estupiñán is expected to travel with the squad, which opens its schedule against Celtic in Glasgow on July 25th before facing Inter in Perth, Chelsea in Jakarta and Manchester United in Wroclaw. Villa agreed personal terms with the 28-year-old in mid-July, Unai Emery having identified the man he worked with at Villarreal as his successor to Lucas Digne, and the clubs were said to be in constant contact over a deal reported to be entering its final stages last weekend. Ruben Amorim's wish to judge for himself whether he can revive a player who managed just 22 appearances and a little over 1,300 minutes since arriving from Brighton has brought negotiations to a standstill; Milanreports described the deal as on standby on July 23rd. Milan have not formally refused to sell, and Villa are waiting rather than negotiating. The timing matters because Digne is close to leaving: Paris Saint-Germain have triggered the release clause in his contract and he has passed a medical, though neither club has announced the move and he remains a Villa player. With Andrés García already on loan at Getafe, a Digne departure before the Estupiñán position resolves would leave Emery starting at Brighton on August 23rd with Ian Maatsen his senior option at left-back and Samuel Iling-Junior the only other cover.
Source: Inside Futbol / Daniele LongoAston Villa officially announced the signing of Alejandro Garnacho from Chelsea on July 23rd, completing a season-long loan that carries a conditional obligation to make the move permanent next summer — a clause reported at around £42.5m and understood to be easily achievable. The 22-year-old Argentina winger, who has pre-agreed a four-year contract should the obligation trigger, takes the No.17 shirt and becomes Unai Emery's personally-driven answer to Morgan Rogers's British-record £117m departure to the same club. Garnacho scored once and assisted four times in 24 Premier League appearances for Chelsea last season after his £40m switch from Manchester United. UEFA are reviewing the two same-club deals inside a 45-day window under player-exchange accounting rules.
Source: Aston Villa FC / Chelsea FC / BBC SportAston Villa confirmed on July 23rd that Betano has signed a three-year agreement to become the club's sleeve sponsor, moving off the front of the shirt it had occupied as principal partner since 2024. The front-of-shirt space now belongs to Visit Rwanda, whose branding will appear across the men's, women's and academy shirts under a multi-year principal deal reported at around £20m a year, the most lucrative commercial partnership in the club's history. The reshuffle completes Villa's 2026-27 shirt-sponsorship line-up.
Source: Express & Star / EGR IntelAston Villa are refusing to sanction Emiliano Martínez's move to Juventus, and the Serie A club have responded by widening their search. Italian outlets reported on July 22nd that, with Villa holding firm on their valuation and unwilling to let the goalkeeper leave, Juventus are now weighing Tottenham's Guglielmo Vicario and Freiburg's Noah Atubolu as alternatives. Martínez, 33, is said to remain keen on the move, but with no breakthrough on a fee the pursuit has stalled.
Source: OneFootball / Football ItaliaAston Villa have agreed a deal to sign Alejandro Garnacho from Chelsea on a season-long loan with a conditional obligation to buy, The Athletic reported on July 22nd. The 22-year-old Argentina winger has completed his medical and is in Birmingham, with a four-year contract in place should the permanent clause be activated. Unai Emery drove the move personally, adding pace and directness on the left after Morgan Rogers's British-record GBP 117m departure to the same club. Villa lodged their first official proposal on Tuesday; only an official announcement now remains.
Source: The Athletic (via Read Aston Villa)Crysencio Summerville is bound for Roma. Football Italia reported that a third Roma offer worth €50m including add-ons was set to be accepted by West Ham, with the Netherlands winger flying back to Europe from Miami and due in Rome for medical tests later this week. Villa had agreed a fee with West Ham but never won the player over, and the report states the club are not prepared to make a firm offer. A €45m release clause lapses on July 27th, after which West Ham can insist on the full £50m. The board has moved the thread to Deal off.
Source: Football ItaliaVilla asked AC Milan for information about Rafael Leão during the clubs' ongoing talks over Pervis Estupiñán, Milan-beat reporting said on July 21st. It is an exploratory enquiry rather than a formal approach, but it is the first concrete interest in a market that has been cold for the 27-year-old, who considers his time at San Siro over and is holding out for a top club, preferably in the Premier League — he has shown no interest in approaches from Galatasaray or Fenerbahçe. Milan would not stand in his way at €60m, and have earmarked Genk's Konstantinos Karetsas as the reinvestment. Leão is due to join Milan's pre-season camp in Perth on July 29th.
Source: Milanreports / SportMediasetAston Villa have submitted a formal offer to Chelsea for Alejandro Garnacho, proposing an initial loan containing a clause to make the move permanent. Fabrizio Romano reports that Unai Emery has approved the 22-year-old as a target and that discussions are running simultaneously with the player's representatives, having first raised him during the talks that took Morgan Rogers to Stamford Bridge for a British record GBP 117m. Chelsea are willing to let the Argentina winger go after a season spent largely out of the starting side and are seeking about GBP 50m, though they may prefer an outright sale to the structure Villa have proposed. Garnacho's own position is the larger obstacle: he is prioritising a move to Roma and no agreement exists with either club or player.
Source: Fabrizio Romano / Read Aston VillaAmadou Onana underwent surgery on the ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in Lyon on July 21st, with L'Équipe reporting the procedure was completed successfully and that the Belgium midfielder faces a nine-month layoff. That timeline points to a return around April 2027, meaning Villa must plan for a Premier League and Champions League campaign without him. Onana suffered the injury playing for Belgium against the United States at the World Cup on July 7th. Villa have already added Johan Manzambi and João Gomes in midfield and have not yet published their own recovery update.
Source: L'Équipe / Read Aston VillaAl Hilal have agreed a fee of around GBP 68.3m with West Ham for Crysencio Summerville, Sky Sports reported on July 21st, ending a race Villa had been credited with entering earlier in the window. The Saudi club's offer was worth close to double Roma's opening proposal and was accepted almost immediately by a West Ham side selling after relegation; Roma's improved GBP 39m bid had been rejected on Monday. Summerville has been offered a long-term contract and cleared to undergo a medical. Villa had agreed a fee with West Ham but never won the winger's approval and declined to bid again, and have since lodged an official offer for Chelsea's Alejandro Garnacho instead.
Source: Sky Sports NewsChelsea officially announced the signing of Morgan Rogers on July 21st, completing a British-record transfer worth a fixed £117m from Aston Villa with no add-ons attached. The 23-year-old England forward, who passed his medical on Monday and signed a six-year contract with an option to 2033, becomes Chelsea's most expensive signing and eclipses the £116m Manchester City paid Nottingham Forest for Elliot Anderson. Rogers scored ten and assisted six in 2025-26 and started England's World Cup bronze-medal win over France before choosing Stamford Bridge over Arsenal. Villa bank the full fee to reinvest in a new wide forward and a left-back, with an official bid already lodged for Chelsea's Alejandro Garnacho and talks advancing for Milan's Pervis Estupiñán.
Source: Chelsea FC / Fabrizio RomanoAston Villa began their pre-season with a 5-0 win at Walsall's Bescot Stadium on July 21st. New £38m signing João Gomes made his debut in a first 45 minutes before Unai Emery made ten changes at the break. Seventeen-year-old Brian Madjo, still awaiting FIFA clearance to play competitively, scored twice in the first half and George Hemmings also struck before the interval, with Luka Lynch and Aidan Borland completing the scoring in the second half.
Source: Express & Star / ESPNAston Villa officially confirmed the permanent signing of João Gomes on July 20th, the club calling the 25-year-old Brazil international a “combative and dynamic midfielder”. A Flamengo academy graduate and Copa Libertadores winner, capped ten times by Brazil, he made 130 appearances for Wolves. The fee is worth around £38m — €40m guaranteed plus €5m in add-ons per Fabrizio Romano — on a contract to 2031. He is the second pivot signing of the window after Johan Manzambi, and completes the midfield rebuild that followed Youri Tielemans's exit.
Source: Aston Villa officialLucas Digne is due to undergo a medical at Paris Saint-Germain before signing a three-year contract, L'Equipe reported on July 20th, the left-back's 33rd birthday. PSG paid the £10m release clause in his Villa deal and the two sides are described as being in total agreement, leaving the medical and the formal announcement as the last steps. Digne returns to the club he left in 2015 to serve as back-up to Nuno Mendes, reuniting with Luis Enrique a decade after the pair worked together at Barcelona. He departs Villa Park as a Europa League winner four years after arriving from Everton, with Pervis Estupinan lined up as his replacement.
Source: L'Equipe, via Get French Football NewsVilla have agreed a transfer fee with West Ham for Crysencio Summerville, according to Luca Cerchione of OcW Sports, turning a month of quiet admiration into a live bid for the Netherlands winger. The positions are inverted: Roma have agreed personal terms with Summerville on a five-year deal worth around €4m net but have had two offers rejected by West Ham, the first around €46m, while Villa have met West Ham's valuation — roughly £50m — without yet winning over the player, who continues to favour Rome. Corriere dello Sport and Il Messaggero report that Roma sporting director Tony D'Amico is readying a final bid and hopes to conclude within hours. Villa, funded by the £117m Rogers sale and able to offer Champions League football alongside a Premier League return, are positioned to move if that bid falls short.
Source: West Ham Zone / Corriere dello SportVilla's interest in Crysencio Summerville has effectively ended within hours of it appearing to firm up. Fabrizio Romano reported on July 20th that West Ham rejected a second Roma bid worth more than €45m overnight, prompting a third offer the same day; by the afternoon Eleonora Trotta reported that Roma and West Ham had struck a basic agreement worth €50m in fixed fee and bonuses, with only the commissions outstanding. Alfredo Pedullà, reporting later the same afternoon, said Villa are not in for the winger, contradicting earlier claims that Villa had agreed a fee. Summerville had long since given Roma his personal agreement, leaving Villa without either leg of a deal.
Source: Alfredo Pedullà / Fabrizio Romano via LaRoma24Morgan Rogers has signed a six-year contract at Chelsea, Fabrizio Romano reported on the evening of July 20th, hours after the 23-year-old passed his medical in London. The deal carries an option to extend to June 2033, and Chelsea pay Villa £117m as a fixed fee with no add-ons — a British record, £1m above the fee Manchester City paid Nottingham Forest for Elliot Anderson, and Chelsea's largest ever outlay. Rogers, who scored ten and assisted six for Villa in 2025-26 and completed the full ninety in England's World Cup bronze-medal win over France, chose Stamford Bridge over Arsenal after Xabi Alonso intervened personally. Neither club has yet published an official announcement.
Source: Fabrizio RomanoLa Gazzetta dello Sport report that Juventus have offered a loan with an obligation to buy worth roughly €6.5m for Emiliano Martínez, with Villa holding out for closer to €10m. The goalkeeper has agreed personal terms on a three-year contract worth €5m a season and, with the World Cup over following Argentina's final defeat to Spain, is ready to push for the move. Villa's stated position is unchanged — director Damian Vidagany said on July 14th that Martínez is not for sale.
Source: La Gazzetta dello Sport (via Football Italia)Le Parisien reported on the evening of July 20th that Lucas Digne had come through his medical in Paris, clearing the last obstacle before a return to the club he left a decade ago. Paris Saint-Germain triggered a release clause worth a little under €10m, and the 33-year-old is set to sign for three years as cover and competition for Nuno Mendes. Villa are pressing on with Pervis Estupiñán of Milan as the replacement.
Source: Le Parisien, via ParisFansPortuguese outlets A Bola, Correio da Manhã and O Jogo reported that Villa had moved ahead of Benfica and agreed a season-long loan for João Palhinha with a €25m option to buy, with the Bayern Munich midfielder set to fly to England on July 18th. Sky Germany's Florian Plettenberg refuted the travel claim, confirming Palhinha stayed in Munich and reported for Bayern's pre-season on July 19th — while naming Villa and Benfica as the two most concrete options for him, with no agreement reached at either. Talks between Villa and Bayern over the loan structure continue.
Source: Florian Plettenberg (Sky Sport Deutschland) / A Bola, Correio da Manhã, O Jogo, via The Hard TackleThe Athletic reported that promoted Hull City have held discussions with Villa and with Bailey's representatives over a permanent transfer for the 28-year-old, who is not in Unai Emery's plans. Villa are said to prefer a sale to a loan, with a fee reported in the region of £12m plus add-ons. Trabzonspor and Celta Vigo have also shown interest, but Bailey would rather remain in England. His departure would leave Villa short of a senior natural right winger.
Source: The AthleticEmiliano Martínez made 11 saves in the World Cup final on July 19th, a record for the fixture, but could not prevent Argentina losing 1-0 to Spain after extra time. Ferran Torres, a forward Villa have been linked with this summer, came off the bench in the 62nd minute and turned in Nico Williams's header from close range in the 106th minute for the only goal. Argentina, reduced to ten men when Enzo Fernández was sent off in stoppage time at the end of normal play, did not register a shot on target. Spain conceded once across eight matches, the fewest by any World Cup winner. Martínez is expected back at Bodymoor Heath after a post-tournament break.
Source: ESPNChelsea have reached a verbal agreement with Aston Villa to sign Morgan Rogers for £117m (€137m), The Athletic reports, with the fee accepted and the deal being finalised. Personal terms are agreed on a six-year contract to 2032 and a medical is scheduled for Monday. Rogers, 23 and currently with England at the World Cup, chose Chelsea over Arsenal, drawn by Xabi Alonso's project; the fee would eclipse the Enzo Fernández deal as a Chelsea record. Villa cash in on the No.10 they signed from Middlesbrough for around £8m two years ago, banking a British-record-level windfall to reinvest.
Source: The Athletic (David Ornstein / Jacob Whitehead)Villa have emerged as the leading contenders for Crysencio Summerville, according to Corriere della Sera, with Roma giving the West Ham winger until Monday to answer their offer. Roma have proposed around €40m to West Ham and €4.5m a year plus bonuses to the player, who wants closer to €6m; the Hammers are holding out for a fee nearer €45m. Sky Sport Italia reported on July 15th that Villa's interest is serious and that Summerville would make his decision within hours of returning from Miami. Champions League football is seen as Villa's edge, with Manchester United waiting on a Marcus Rashford exit before moving.
Source: Corriere della Sera / Get Italian Football NewsEmiliano Martínez has revealed he is in pain every day from a finger he fractured shortly before May's Europa League final in Istanbul, and that he ignored specialist advice to have it operated on. The goalkeeper stayed on the pitch to help Villa win the competition, then did not play again for club or country until Argentina's World Cup opener against Algeria. "I decided not to get surgery and honestly, I had a rough time and was really struggling," he said. The 33-year-old is expected to be available for preseason, with Juventus's interest in him still unresolved.
Source: Read Aston Villa / AVillaFanVilla's pursuit of Joao Palhinha has stalled. Florian Plettenberg reported on July 18th that Bayern Munich have not reached an agreement with any club and that the Portugal midfielder is expected back in Munich on Sunday for the start of pre-season, contradicting earlier reports that he was flying to England for a medical. Villa want a loan with a €25m purchase option; Bayern want a permanent sale. Benfica and Sporting remain in the picture.
Source: Florian Plettenberg (Sky Sport Deutschland) via The Football FaithfulReports in Portugal that Joao Palhinha was flying to England to finalise a move to Villa were dismissed on July 18th. Florian Plettenberg reported that Bayern Munich have not reached an agreement with any club and that the Portugal midfielder is due back in Munich on Sunday for the start of pre-season. John Townley confirmed the medical claim was wrong while reporting that talks between the two clubs over a loan will continue as both work towards an agreement. Villa want a loan with a €25m purchase option; Bayern would prefer a permanent sale. Benfica remain the other concrete option.
Source: Florian Plettenberg (Sky Sport Deutschland) / John Townley (BirminghamLive) via Read Aston VillaVilla's pursuit of João Palhinha has cooled. Florian Plettenberg reported that no agreement has been reached with any club and that the Portugal midfielder is expected back in Munich on July 19th for the start of Bayern Munich's pre-season, playing down suggestions he was due at Villa Park. Villa retain an interest if Bayern will sanction a second loan, but the German champions want a permanent sale and Benfica, where Marco Silva is pushing for a reunion, remain in the race.
Source: Sky Germany (Florian Plettenberg), via The Football FaithfulEzri Konsa headed England's second goal in a 6-4 win over France in the World Cup third-place play-off in Miami, England's best men's finish since 1966. Konsa and Morgan Rogers completed the full ninety for Thomas Tuchel's side, while Ollie Watkins came on for England and Lucas Digne entered for France at half-time. The Villa defender's tournament has been an unusually prominent one, coming as Arsenal weigh a bid for him.
Source: Aston Villa FC / Read Aston VillaJohan Manzambi completed his medical on July 16th and the ~€70m move from Freiburg is in its final stages, with Fabrizio Romano and David Ornstein reporting the deal is being finalised. The Switzerland midfielder arrives as the centerpiece of Villa's pivot rebuild, with an announcement expected imminently.
Source: Fabrizio Romano / David OrnsteinAston Villa's leadership has confirmed the club is exploring commercial naming rights for Villa Park and the Bodymoor Heath training ground as part of a wider push to close the revenue gap to the Premier League's biggest clubs, while setting out its longer-term stance on redeveloping the stadium. The move follows the record Visit Rwanda front-of-shirt deal worth up to £20m a year, with owner Nassef Sawiris's group pursuing new income streams to strengthen Villa's spending power under Financial Fair Play.
Source: BirminghamLive / Express & StarFabrizio Romano said on July 17th that Villa have 'completed the signing' of João Gomes from Wolves for €40m plus €5m in add-ons (~£39m), with the Brazilian midfielder travelling for his medical and contract signing. Romano added that Man United and Liverpool 'were never interested' despite weeks of links — Villa were the only club making a serious move — and confirmed talks for Bayern's João Palhinha remain active. Only the official announcement remains on a deal that completes the pivot rebuild alongside Manzambi.
Source: Fabrizio Romano / Read Aston VillaAston Villa have agreed personal terms with Pervis Estupiñán, Fabrizio Romano reported, with the Ecuador left-back keen to reunite with Unai Emery as the identified replacement for the PSG-bound Lucas Digne. A fee is still to be agreed with AC Milan, however, with the Rossoneri asking around €18-20m and Villa pitching closer to €10-12m; Milan want a replacement — Noussair Mazraoui is a target — lined up before sanctioning the exit. The deal is one leg of the way home, with the club-to-club fee the outstanding piece.
Source: Fabrizio Romano / TribunaAston Villa have completed the club-record signing of Johan Manzambi from Freiburg in a deal worth £59.5m including add-ons (€70m), eclipsing the £50m paid for Amadou Onana two years ago. The 20-year-old Switzerland midfielder — who faced Villa in last season's Europa League final — arrives after Emery's side swooped late to hijack a move Newcastle had all but agreed, having settled a £49m fee with Freiburg the previous week. 'It's a very big club in England and they're playing in the Champions League,' Manzambi said on signing. He becomes the centrepiece of a pivot rebuild forced by Youri Tielemans's exit to Manchester United and Amadou Onana's long-term knee injury, with Joao Gomes set to follow.
Source: Aston Villa (official) / Express & Star (Matt Maher)Fabrizio Romano reported a verbal agreement on the morning of July 16th for Villa to sign João Gomes from Wolves in a deal worth up to €45m — €40m guaranteed plus €5m in add-ons, a package worth around £38m. Wolves accepted the proposal and authorised the medical, with BirminghamLive's John Townley reporting that the Brazil midfielder left training to travel and complete the move. The 25-year-old, at Molineux since January 2023, brings Premier League ball-winning to a midfield thinned by Youri Tielemans's move to Manchester United and Amadou Onana's knee injury, and could operate alongside Boubacar Kamara or Johan Manzambi. An official announcement is expected once he completes the medical and signs.
Source: Fabrizio Romano / Read Aston VillaAston Villa have officially confirmed that right-back Andrés García has joined Getafe on a season-long loan. The 23-year-old, who made eight appearances in all competitions last season after arriving from Levante in January 2025, returns to Spain in search of regular minutes, with no purchase option disclosed. Matty Cash remains Unai Emery's first-choice right-back.
Source: Aston Villa (official) / Read Aston VillaFreiburg sporting director Jochen Saier has confirmed that goalkeeper Noah Atubolu has been granted permission to leave this summer rather than risk losing him for nothing when his contract expires in 2027, with Sky Sport Deutschland reporting Aston Villa among the interested clubs alongside Bournemouth. The 24-year-old Germany international — a Europa League finalist last season and a potential reunion with incoming Freiburg teammate Johan Manzambi — has been training away from the first team amid the standoff, though no club has yet lodged a concrete offer. The interest dovetails with the uncertainty over Emiliano Martínez's future, with Juventus continuing to court the Argentine.
Source: Sky Sport Deutschland / The Hard TackleVilla are in talks to sign João Palhinha on loan from Bayern, per The Athletic's Jacob Tanswell — the pivot rebuild's third front after Gomes and Manzambi, driven by Tielemans's exit and Onana's knee injury. Bayern would prefer a ~€24m sale but accept a loan; Benfica are still working to lure the 31-year-old to Lisbon.
Source: The AthleticAston Villa have confirmed the permanent transfer of centre-back Yeimar Mosquera to Vitória Guimarães, where the 21-year-old has signed a contract until 2030. Mosquera arrived at Villa Park in 2024 and spent last season as a fixture in the under-21 side, logging more than 1,300 Premier League 2 minutes without breaking into Unai Emery's senior squad. Villa retain a percentage of any future sale. The move is the second of the window between the two clubs, following goalkeeper Oliwier Zych's season-long loan to Guimarães, and reflects the V Sports ownership link that ties the pair together.
Source: Aston Villa (official) / Vitória Sport ClubeVilla are on the brink of completing the signing of Johan Manzambi from Freiburg, with Florian Plettenberg reporting the deal is 'done and sealed' between the clubs and the Switzerland midfielder's medical scheduled for Thursday. The package is worth close to €70m including add-ons after Villa outbid Newcastle, with Champions League football under Unai Emery decisive. Reported disquiet over the club's new Visit Rwanda shirt sponsorship, given Manzambi's DR Congo family roots, is said not to threaten the move.
Source: Florian Plettenberg (Sky Germany) / Fabrizio RomanoVilla confirmed Lewis Dobbin has completed a permanent transfer to Southampton for a fee of around £9m plus add-ons. The junior England international, signed from Everton in 2024, spent last season on loan at Preston North End, where he scored 11 goals, and departs Villa Park after earlier loans at West Brom and Norwich.
Source: Aston Villa (official) / Read Aston VillaA Bola reports Villa will put an offer to Bayern for João Palhinha — a loan with an option to buy rather than a permanent deal, with the Tielemans sale and Onana's knee injury leaving a hole in the pivot. Bayern would rather bank around €25m after Spurs declined their option, but are open to another loan; Benfica remain in the race for the 31-year-old, with Juventus and Milan also credited with interest.
Source: A BolaEvann Guessand will remain at Villa for 2026-27 after Crystal Palace opted not to trigger the £28m option-to-buy in his loan deal, directing funds towards other targets instead. The 25-year-old, signed from Nice for around £30m last summer, returns to Bodymoor Heath for preseason to press his case under Unai Emery after a stop-start loan interrupted by a knee injury.
Source: Read Crystal Palace / BirminghamLiveSky Sports reports Villa are interested in Nicolas Jackson and have explored the conditions of a deal for the Chelsea striker, who has told the club he wants to consider his options and has been left out of their preferred attacking group. Chelsea's valuation sits near €70m — a stretch without sales — and the 25-year-old played under Unai Emery at Villarreal.
Source: Sky Sports NewsVilla announced Visit Rwanda as Principal Partner, with the tourism brand's logo on the front of all men's, women's and academy shirts from 2026-27 in a deal worth up to £20m per season — the most lucrative commercial partnership in club history if bonuses land, replacing Betano. Amnesty International criticised the agreement as 'sportswashing' on behalf of the Rwandan government.
Source: City AM / Read Aston Villa / Express & StarVilla director of football operations Damian Vidagany publicly closed the door on an Emiliano Martínez exit, telling 365Scores the goalkeeper's future is settled, that he is staying, and that reports linking him with Juventus do not reflect the club's position. Juventus are understood to have agreed personal terms with the Argentine after their move for Alisson stalled, but Villa have no intention of sanctioning a sale.
Source: BirminghamLive / Sports MoleYouri Tielemans has completed his medical and is signing for Manchester United on a five-year deal to June 2031, Fabrizio Romano confirmed, after United triggered the €41m (£35m) release clause in his Villa contract. The Belgium captain leaves having been a midfield mainstay under Emery; Villa had no wish to sell but were powerless once the clause was met.
Source: Fabrizio Romano (via CaughtOffside) / Sky SportsFabrizio Romano says Ferran Torres is on the radar of Villa and Spurs, and GiveMeSport reports Villa have explored a deal worth around £52m for the Barcelona and Spain forward. It looks a long shot: Torres is happy at Barcelona and reluctant to leave, while PSG have opened advanced talks over a reunion with Luis Enrique. His contract runs to June 2027.
Source: Fabrizio Romano / GiveMeSportArsenal are readying an opening offer of around €85m (£72m) for Morgan Rogers after making significant progress in talks with the player's camp, and now believe they are his preferred destination. The bid would fall well short of Villa's £130m British-record valuation, which the club restated after the Tielemans sale. Man United, Liverpool, Chelsea and Man City continue to monitor.
Source: TEAMtalk / FootballTransfersModou Kéba Cissé is now officially a Villa player, his July 2025 pre-contract agreement with LASK having taken effect this month. The 20-year-old Senegalese centre-back, who can also play defensive midfield, spent 2025-26 in Austria and links up with the squad for preseason after a deal worth a reported £4m.
Source: Premier League / AVFCVilla and Getafe are closing in on an agreement for a season-long loan of right-back Andrés García, who started just once in all competitions last season. Getafe have identified the 23-year-old as their replacement for the Sevilla-bound Juan Iglesias, and the move is expected to be finalised in the coming days — leaving Matty Cash as Villa's only established senior right-back and pointing to further defensive recruitment.
Source: Read Aston VillaVilla announced Visit Rwanda as their new principal partner, the tourism brand replacing Betano across the front of the men's, women's and academy shirts. Reported at up to £20m a year with bonuses met, it is the most lucrative shirt deal in the club's history; the agreement has drawn human-rights criticism from campaigners.
Source: Aston Villa (official)Fabrizio Romano confirmed Johan Manzambi to Villa with a verbal agreement slightly in excess of €60m accepted by Freiburg, plus personal terms agreed with the player and his agency on a long-term deal. David Ornstein reported Villa hijacked the transfer. The 20-year-old Switzerland midfielder starred at the World Cup with three goals and two assists in four appearances.
Source: Fabrizio Romano / David OrnsteinWith Youri Tielemans bound for Manchester United, TEAMtalk reports Villa have accelerated interest in Spurs midfielder Lucas Bergvall — who has told his club he wants to leave and is keen on Villa Park — and Crystal Palace's Adam Wharton. No direct approach has been made for either, with Villa seeking a more defensive, controlled profile to balance the midfield.
Source: TEAMtalkFabrizio Romano reported Villa are in talks with AC Milan over Pervis Estupiñán, saying the deal is on and the Ecuadorian is high on a three-man left-back shortlist to replace the departing Lucas Digne. Estupiñán played under Unai Emery at Villarreal, and BBC Sport's gossip column notes Villa are assessing the move.
Source: Fabrizio Romano (via GiveMeSport)Villa agreed a £9m plus add-ons sale of Lewis Dobbin to Southampton, with a medical booked. The 23-year-old never made a competitive first-team appearance after his £10m move from Everton in June 2024 and spent last season on loan at Preston.
Source: Read Aston VillaPSG reached agreement to re-sign Lucas Digne, paying his £10m release clause. He verbally agreed immediately and will sign a three-year deal as back-up to Nuno Mendes, with game time assured by Luis Enrique. Digne played for PSG from 2013-16.
Source: ESPNFabrizio Romano confirmed Youri Tielemans to Man United with United activating the €41m release clause in his Villa contract and a verbal agreement in place with the player. Medical booked for Tuesday. Villa had no desire to sell but were powerless once the clause was triggered.
Source: Fabrizio Romano (via utdreport) / TEAMtalkBelgium confirmed Amadou Onana suffered an anterior cruciate ligament rupture in the Round of 16 win over the USA. He is expected back around April 2027 at the earliest. Villa may receive roughly £6.4-6.6m via FIFA's Club Protection Programme, and the injury has accelerated plans to sign another central midfielder.
Source: Sports Mole / Football Today