Latest news with #UnaiEmery
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
🎥 Did Aston Villa man score the perfect pre-season goal?
A lot of people consider what happens in pre-season to be irrelevant. After all, it's not as if results and performances have a bearing on what lies ahead in the forthcoming campaign, but Ezri Konsa offered a compelling counterpoint. Two years ago, the Aston Villa defender produced a barnstorming run and finish to begin their fightback in a friendly with Brentford at Maryland's Northwest Stadium. Unai Emery's side were trailing to Bryan Mbeumo and Josh Dasilva before Konsa's one-man effort set the wheels in motion for three goals in the space of ten minutes. Unfortunately for the Villans, their lead was cancelled out midway through the second half to ensure honours ended even in their six-goal thriller with the Bees. But Konsa can lay claim to one of the greatest ever goals scored in pre-season.. 📸 BERTRAND GUAY - AFP or licensors
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Aston Villa 'plot new Rogers contract' as Girona approach Moreno
Aston Villa are preparing to reward Morgan Rogers with a new contract in recognition of his growing importance to the team, according to The Athletic. Despite the fact that Rogers only signed a contract extension last November—keeping him at Villa Park until 2030—the club have begun early discussions over improved terms to reflect his elevated status. The 23-year-old forward has attracted interest from other Premier League clubs this summer, with Chelsea among those monitoring his situation. Villa, however, are determined not to lose one of their brightest young talents and see him as central to their long-term plans. Rogers, who made his senior England debut last year, enjoyed a breakthrough campaign under Unai Emery and is expected to play a prominent role again this season. Talks over a new deal are still at a preliminary stage, but Villa's intent is clear: they want to fend off suitors and ensure Rogers remains a key figure at the club. Meanwhile, left-back Alex Moreno could be on his way out. Girona have approached Villa over a potential move for the 32-year-old, with both a loan and permanent deal being discussed. Moreno, who was left out of Villa's pre-season tour of the United States, is open to the idea of a move as he looks to relaunch his career. The Spaniard spent last season on loan at Nottingham Forest but struggled for minutes. With Lucas Digne and new signing Ian Maatsen ahead of him in the pecking order, Moreno's chances of regular football at Villa appear slim. Villa are open to facilitating a transfer, and talks with Girona are ongoing as all parties look to reach an agreement. 📸 Jeff Dean - 2025 Aston Villa FC
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Get the latest Aston Villa in the USA tour news sent straight to your phone
Join our Aston Villa WhatsApp group and get breaking news, match action and features from the club's pre-season tour of the United States. Villa fans who want to join our community must have WhatsApp downloaded on their phone. Then all you have to do is click on this link, select 'Join Community' and you're in! What's more, it is a free service, so what's not to like? No one will be able to see your details in the community and you will only receive messages from the BirminghamLive team. We will not spam your WhatsApp feed with constant messages, but you will receive regular updates from us as Unai Emery and his team continue their summer tour of the USA. If for some reason you decide you no longer want to be in our community, you can leave by clicking on the name at the top of your screen and clicking 'Exit Group'. You can read our Privacy Notice here.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Youri Tielemans gives honest Champions League verdict after Aston Villa disappointment
If Aston Villa achieve their goals in the upcoming campaign, Youri Tielemans will play a key role. The club's player of the season last term, Tielemans is one appearance shy of a century in claret and blue after joining on a free transfer from Leicester City two summers ago - a move that has proven to be an excellent pick-up. Tielemans essentially replaced Douglas Luiz last summer, despite already being in Emery's squad, and quickly dispelled any fears about how Villa would cope without the Brazilian. After posting 11 goal contributions in his first season at Villa, Tielemans managed 15 in the last campaign, also ranking in the Premier League's top 10 for metrics like key passes, passes into the final third, progressive passes, through balls, and even tackles won. 'I was very consistent in most of the games,' Tielemans said in an exclusive interview with BirminghamLive in Nashville. 'I actually felt stronger and stronger as the season went on. I am very happy with last season, but now I want to build on that, stay consistent and help the team to hopefully achieve our targets.' Villa are currently out in the States, gearing up for a third full season under Unai Emery, who has transformed the club since replacing Steven Gerrard in November 2022. Tielemans was the first summer signing Emery made as Villa manager. Although it took him time to adapt to what the Spaniard wanted from him on the pitch, he has become a crucial element of the team. After starting in the 2-2 draw with Frankfurt on Saturday, the Belgian will step up his fitness in the coming days and weeks, with Villa playing MLS sides St. Louis and Nashville this week, followed by matches against AS Roma, Marseille, and Villarreal next week. 'We know how training camps are, we are out on the grass trying to put some movements together and plans for when the season starts,' the midfielder continued. 'We also have physical work and it is really good to be together for a period of time. You just want to enjoy the time with each other and get to know each other better than what you already know. 'Pre-season is all about a lot of running and preparing for the season ahead.' Villa's first objective every season is to qualify for European football, but next season they will have two shots at achieving their aspirational goal of securing Champions League qualification. A disappointing 2-0 defeat at Manchester United on the final day of last season denied Villa a return to UEFA's elite club competition. At 28 years of age, and with over 600 club and national team appearances to his name, Tielemans is now one of the most experienced heads in Emery's squad. He will be important both on and off the pitch next term as Villa look to return to the Champions League and end their 29-year wait for a trophy. "I know I have a lot of experience, I started very young and I have travelled in two different countries now. For me, it is a natural process,' Tielemans explained. 'I know I'm one of the most experienced players now, but I just try to enjoy my football and show on the pitch how it needs to be and how it works - hopefully the rest follows.' However, the former Leicester star claims it's getting harder every year to get into the Champions League. 'As an individual I just want to stay consistent and play as well as possible and stay healthy. Then, on the other side, with the team, we just really want to push on and try to get that Champions League spot which we just missed out on last year," he added. 'We know every season gets more difficult so we just have to take it from the game. Prepare well now and then in the first game go full on and we will see where we go.' READ MORE: Get the latest Aston Villa in the USA tour news sent straight to your phone READ MORE: Rejuvenated Donyell Malen admits 'difficult' Aston Villa challenge and makes Man United point
New York Times
2 days ago
- Business
- New York Times
Why are Aston Villa making so many €5m to €9m signings?
Aston Villa's player recruitment these days can be separated into two clear categories. The Premier League club have demonstrated a couple of strands to their strategy on incoming transfers since sporting director Monchi arrived in summer 2023 to head up their football department. The first is to sign 'oven-ready' players who can immediately supplement manager Unai Emery's first-team squad. They may not always start matches, but are capable of making an immediate impact. The second is to add young recruits who have begun their senior-level careers in lesser-seen leagues in other countries. Or, as Emery calls them, 'potential players'. These are not purchased to help the Villa cause in the here and now, but later down the line. Advertisement A pattern has emerged over the past 18 months with Monchi, in combination with the data and recruitment staff, working to complete deals for such relatively-unknown targets. Each is bought for a similar ballpark figure — the €5million to €9m mark (£4.3m-£7.8m/$5.9m-$10.6m at current rates) — and usually gets loaned out, either to a third club or back to the one they were just signed from. If one proves a success, Villa would, in the long run, turn a sizeable profit. This is pertinent in the profitability and sustainability (PSR) era. One notable change since Monchi's appointment is that staff in these departments are now asked to focus on specific regions. Villa are rebuilding some upstairs rooms at their Bodymoor Heath training ground, moving their data insights team into the office next to Monchi's, making it easier to discuss private matters with him. This branch of recruitment is leaned upon when debating 'potential players' — young, raw talents needing to be refined. This area of the club's transfer business can be frustrating for supporters, who are not likely to learn of or see the development of such signings immediately — or indeed ever, if they are sold for profit before integrating into the squad. Kosta Nedeljkovic is a case in point. Signed in January 2024 for €9m from Crvena Zvezda, the then 18-year-old right-back stayed with the Serbian club on loan until the end of that season. 'He was inexperienced (when Villa bought him),' Marko Mitrovic, the Belgrade side's head scout tells The Athletic.'But with his body shape and long step in sprints, he looked very good. He had started in our feeder club in the Serbian second division and it wasn't until September 2023 he started regularly training with our first team. He played 12 Serbian league games before joining Villa.' Advertisement Once he reported to Villa for pre-season, Nedeljkovic made nine appearances under Emery over the next few months but did not start a single Premier League game. He was loaned to RB Leipzig at the end of the winter window in a deal that gave the German Bundesliga side an option to buy the now 19-year-old this summer, indicating Villa did not view him as having a longer-term future with them. Leipzig decided against exercising that option but have borrowed him again for the whole of the upcoming season. If Villa developed reservations about Nedeljkovic, there was greater excitement about Sverre Nypan. They were frontrunners to land the teenage midfielder from Norway's Rosenborg. Staff made trips there to monitor Nypan, with detailed work going into convincing him to join their project. Monchi had dinner with the family and built a good relationship with Nypan's father. His case was both different from how Villa recruited 'potential players' and the same. Nypan's acquisition, if achieved, would generate plenty of internal excitement at the club. Though the initial plan was for the 18-year-old to form part of Emery's squad and build minutes, Villa were also amenable to the idea of him going out on loan in the first season. The longer Nypan refused to commit, the club lost more confidence that he would. Instead, Nypan has since joined Manchester City in a deal worth £12.5million. Villa moving for Nypan fell outside the bracket of relatively-unknown players arriving at the club. He, similar to their pursuit of Toulouse defender Jaydee Canvot (Villa have made an opening offer for the 18-year-old), was on a larger financial scale than those kinds of deals. Going into this year's winter transfer window, Villa wanted to sign a right-back, with senior options considered. When they were all deemed financially unviable, they looked to Spanish second-division side Levante's then 21-year-old, Andres Garcia, who was available for €7m and regarded as a market opportunity. He was represented by the same agency, Interstar Deporte, as Villa's Spain international centre-back Pau Torres, who have a good relationship with Monchi and Emery from their La Liga days. Advertisement Villa had tracked Garcia's data from when he played in Levante's B team, with his characteristics deemed as transferable to the Premier League. They had faith in their convictions, given he had accrued nearly 3,500 minutes of football across three seasons in Spain's second tier. His work rate and volume of sprints in a game — even if technical aspects in possession require work — suggested he can be effective in the Premier League, where he made seven appearances and five starts in the second half of last season. Bolstered by coaching and the critical fact that Emery trusts him to play, staff believe he will show more adaptation to the English game in the coming campaign. Whether Garcia is Villa's first-team right-back of the future is another question but if he continues to rack up appearances, there is a possibility he can be sold for two to three times the amount he cost. Also in January, Villa finalised an agreement with Turkish club Kasimpasa for teen centre-back Yasin Ozcan to join them in this window. The 19-year-old has signed a contract until 2030, with the fee being €7m plus a further €1m in possible add-ons. Villa's scouting system extracted a good amount of data on Ozcan, due to him making his top-flight debut at 16 and playing 81 games for Kasimpasa to that point (he got to 94 before season's end), combined with caps at various youth levels with Turkey. From Villa's perspective, it was clear he was on the path to be a full international before too long, which would accelerate his value. And they were right — he made his debut for Turkey in a friendly against Mexico last month. They noted how Ozcan was adept in different formations and positions (he can operate at full-back), while possessing the gold-dust-like centre-back requirement of being left-footed. Emery has tried him at left-back and on the left of a back three in pre-season, which means he can add depth to the Villa first team, or to that of another club he joins on loan before the September 1 transfer deadline. Athletic, left-footed centre-backs are simpler to make money on. Last summer, Villa signed teenage central defender Yeimar Mosquera from Colombian second-tier side Orsomarso before loaning him to sister club Real Union in the Spanish third division for the first half of the campaign. Mosquera's low-cost transfer was facilitated partly because of Villa's relationship with his representatives, DV7; Damian Vidagany, the club's director of football operations, was formerly the agency's chief executive. Now 20, Mosquera is involved in Villa's pre-season as Emery wants to take a closer look before deciding on a longer-term strategy for his development. Advertisement This month, Villa confirmed the €5m signing of Modou Keba Cisse from Austrian side LASK, edging out France's Troyes for his services and so keeping the 19-year-old out of the clutches of the City Football Group (CFG), which owns the Ligue 2 side. He will be loaned back to LASK for the coming season. Cisse only joined them last July from the Be Sport Academy in Senegal and didn't make his league debut until February, so the data available on him is a much lower sample size than some of the other young additions mentioned in this article, but Villa's checks indicate there's something promising about him. 'I brought him to the second team initially,' Luka Pavlovic, who was LASK's under-18s coach at the time, tells The Athletic. 'He went on trial and I said: 'He is the next Pogba' — he was a midfielder then. But the club put him at centre-back, which was a great decision. He is great in training, hard-working and a nice, quiet guy.' Whether any such 'potential players' are a success depends on your definition. Villa accept that not every such prospect they sign will turn out to be a first-team option for them. But they can, possibly, all be assets down the line — either on the pitch or the spreadsheets.
