Transfer Window Summer 2025. The Verdict.

[ChicagoLion]

Think it’ll be Garcia, Buendia or Barkley. Most likely Garcia.

Barkley for me as we have plenty of cover there.

Agree, that and his availability issues.

[Nev]

I went to be bed a lot happier last night than I did on Sunday, the walk to and from the match felt like I was wearing lead boots but I'm now engaged for our next game which is quite the turnaround.

I don't think it will be a stellar season but we should be competitive and my view is still the one I had on Sunday. Finish as high as we can but go all out for the EL to get back into the CL via that route. FA Cup would be wonderful, LC would be ace.

[brontebilly]

The only one I’m mildly excited about is Elliott

Straws grasping....Sancho might be useful against teams with a low block. Like Grealish he is quicker with the ball than without it and he can be quite skilful. We have been utterly clueless so far trying to break teams down.

But if Sancho was ever anything approaching the answer we would have got him in weeks ago.

[paul_e]

I think somehow, against all odds … we’ve not done that badly.

Kept most of the squad together. Only loses have been an unproductive Bailey and Ramsey who’s a genuine shame, but seems injury prone so perhaps not a terrible one to move on.

We’ve strengthened mildly. I like Elliot, he’s a good player. Sancho - jury is out. I’d be worried if he was our biggest name signing, but I don’t think he is now and there’s a small part of me that thinks he could thrive under Emery. Lindelöf, not one to set the pulses racing but probably works out cheaper than loaning a Disasi type player again. Feels a bit like we’ve at least attempted to address the lack of cover there anyway.

If paul_e was right and this is enough for us to exit the UEFA sanctions at the end of this season, it’ll be worth it IMO - as before, we’ve probably not got any worse and so that’s a good base to build from in 2026.

Time to reintegrate Big Emi and get on with the season.

I really hope I am.

With loan fees accounted for I think we're looking at about £20-25m in profit on transfers and with all the ins and outs I think we're looking at something like £25m off the annual wage bill as well, but there is a bit of guesswork in that because the numbers are hard to get for a lot of players.

The last published accounts for 23/24 had £252m for wages but over 13 months so £232m is a more accurate starting point. last season we were on to make a decent saving but most of that got eaten up by the loans. Even so I wouldn't be surprised if our projected wage bill for this season now sits at something like £200m, meaning we need revenue of £300m+ for this season, which seems likely even if we have a big drop off from last year by missing out on on the champions league.

So, with my napkin maths and a lot of estimates I think the position is:
PSR - no concerns
SCR - no concerns
UEFA Punishment - 3rd year target has been met already

If that's all correct and Martinez doesn't leave to Turkey/Saudi then:

Olsen - Bizot
Disasi - Lindelof
Asensio - Buendia
Rashford - Guessand
Bailey - Sancho
Ramsey - Elliott

I'll take that given how many balls we had to keep in the air whilst doing it. With the likes of Jimoh, Burrowes, Hemmings, Rowe and Patterson all seemingly heavily involved as well I think we're in a decent place.

[wince]

Verdict: It is as good as it was going to be.

What we need now is to knuckle down as it was shocking how we let this window dictate our on pitch performance. We need some goals scored and points on the board ASAP and potentially write this season off as a 'stay within the rules' whilst having a go at the cups. Whatever has happened off the field with PSR/SCR should now consolidate us rather than making us look like we are spitting out our dummies out.

Make what we have solid and crack on from there.

[PeterWithesShin]

My biggest hope is that this is the last summer we have to do this, and what we've done allows us to strengthen properly in future.

[Drummond]

Think it’ll be Garcia, Buendia or Barkley. Most likely Garcia.

Barkley for me as we have plenty of cover there.

I'm with you.

[Drummond]

I feel comfortable with what we have.

Elliott is a great addition who will give us drive and creativity, Sancho is unpredictable and better than Bailey, Lindelof adds experience and knows why he's here, Bizot is better than Olsen. Guessand is going to take a little time but he has good stats and works hard.

The downer is having to sell Ramsey. And it was proven right by the last minute fiasco with Martinez. We couldn't rely on him going so Ramsey was the one. We had to sell a player for good profit. Martinez, Watkins, Kamara and Rogers were the other 4 who could have given us the room. I think we let the right one go, gutted though I am that we had to.

Martinez will go at some point, and I can't see him not trying his best when he's on the pitch, he's far too proud for that. I certainly won't be singing World's No. 1, (until he saves a penalty in the FA Cup Final.)

[Beard82]

As I said my poor score isnt based on the club - I think everyone did the best job they could and then some.  Just think we're weaker and its caused us to drop points already this season.

[Tuscans]

Aston Villa’s transfer window: Martinez’s ‘move’, Emery’s financial frustration, final-day impetus

@J_Tanswell

This summer was expected to be challenging for Unai Emery and his closest aides — it turned out to be tumultuous.

Missing out on qualifying for the Champions League on goal difference on the final day of last season left a bitter taste, with senior figures realising a painful summer would ensue.

Emery returned to Valencia but kept in touch with Damian Vidagany, director of football operations and sporting director Monchi. They, along with other recruitment staff, mostly stayed working at the training ground as others went on holiday, only fitting in small breaks away.

Villa accepted that outgoings would be the priority even following the end of loans for Axel Disasi, Marco Asensio and Marcus Rashford.

Financially and practically, it was unfeasible to keep the same size of squad but players and coaches acknowledged Emery’s side needed freshness. By the final throes of the window, players told close friends and family about the squad’s need for help.

The mood at Bodymoor was fraught during the final week, amplified by Amadou Onana’s hamstring injury. Villa were attempting to be busy but few outside of the ‘triangle of power’ knew what they would entail. Emery, Monchi and Vidagany tightened their circle even closer and kept transfer targets closely guarded.

Emery’s request was simple: to bring players in for the here and now but the lack of finance available made that increasingly difficult. Emery is the overarching decision-maker, with other senior figures such as Monchi facilitating his wishes. It is a manager-led recruitment process, with several players brought to him and dismissed.

He pushed for West Ham United’s Lucas Paqueta. He is fond of the attacking midfielder, yet an agreement was always going to prove complex. There were three days left and West Ham did not want to sell.



Villa never made a formal offer for Paqueta and by the following day accepted that the 28-year-old’s signing was not going to happen.

Brief encouragement about Paqueta was indicative of a volatile and unpredictable environment, with the club left knowing they needed a lift, affirmed after the 3-0 home defeat to Crystal Palace on Sunday evening.

To make matters worse, Asensio remained a player of interest, yet he was about to fly to complete a move to Fenerbahce.

Villa were underpowered and under-equipped, with the circus surrounding Emiliano Martinez back. The mood within the dressing room was described by close observers — who, like others in this article, spoke on the condition of anonymity — as “really flat.”

While free agent Victor Lindelof had undergone his medical before signing and they were now exploring terms of an agreement for Jadon Sancho, there was an acceptance that Villa did not know what the final day would hold. Sancho duly arrived with Harvey Elliott soon following.

UEFA sanctions, comprising the Squad Cost Rule (SCR) and the football earnings rule, were highly restrictive.

Being edged out of a Champions League place meant an immediate deficit of £50million, so keeping players who could cover multiple positions was seen as a partial solution.

But the reality was that Villa needed to sell an important player, supplemented by outgoings of fringe players to ensure compliance.

At the end of May, Villa’s club turnover being spent on player wages was over 80 per cent and had to be lowered to 70 per cent or below.

To exacerbate matters, Villa had to adhere to UEFA’s version of Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) — the football earnings rule. The situation was so complex that many staff did not know or understand the full picture of the spending troubles.

As this was to be Villa’s third successive season participating in European competition, UEFA rules state clubs can lose no more than €60m (£51.6m; $70.1m) over that period, plus a possible €10m per year if European football’s governing body deems them to be in a ‘good’ financial state.

The football earnings rule is a tighter version than the Premier League’s PSR, which permits losses of up to £105m ($142m) across three years. This squeezed Villa further as UEFA restrictions were always deemed to be the bigger issue, despite them selling their women’s team to V Sports, the holding company that owns the club, to solve this year’s PSR issue.

Jacob Ramsey was the player who had to make way. A homegrown product, Ramsey was well-liked in the dressing room and someone whose roots in the Midlands were entrenched.

Ten months of contact talks were yet to be resolved between his representatives and Villa but Ramsey was not keen on leaving. Yet, in truth, the desire to keep him was not as strong as it was in other players, like Morgan Rogers.

Players in the dressing room knew how hard it was for Ramsey to go and his departure was described by sources as “needs must” in the bid to comply with UEFA sanctions.

The 24-year-old met Emery and his staff on the morning of August 13 to decide on his next steps. An offer from Newcastle United had been received but there was no agreement over fee or personal terms. Villa’s asking price lowered after a senior source suggested £50m earlier in the summer, with a deal struck for £39m plus £5m in difficult-to-achieve add-ons at lunchtime the day after Ramsey spoke to Emery.



The assumption that the club would now have money to spend after Ramsey’s sale was not true — more exits were needed.

A factor was the impact of player sales with UEFA. Domestic PSR and the football earnings rule include all of the profit booked on any departures. For Ramsey, all of his £39m fee would be pure bookable profit for the Premier League’s accounting books, but the prorating method used for SCR meant only one-third of sales profits were included in that.

Villa’s £39m sale only contributed £13m of their squad cost denominator in the 2025 calculation with UEFA, with the next two instalments of £13m accounted for the next two seasons, provided Emery’s side are still in Europe.

There were lengthy attempts to sign Sverre Nypan. They had scope in the budget for the 18-year-old, who would have cost around £12-£14m.

Villa had been confident of an agreement with the player and Rosenborg for several months, seeming ahead of other interested parties, including Arsenal. Villa had laid the groundwork, with Monchi making trips to Norway to meet his family. The wider recruitment team created presentations and Villa thought a deal was verbally agreed.

But there was no signature and Villa grew disheartened. Paperwork that should only have taken a week was still not completed more than a month later. A futile offer was made to allow Nypan to stay at Rosenborg for a season on loan, with a sense that an auction around was being created and Manchester City, his eventual destination, at the table.

Villa liked Real Betis’ Jesus Rodriguez but Como were always ahead in that race.

June rolled into July and Villa were stuck in a holding pattern. They had expected departures to materialise, with those players returning for pre-season. This was illustrated in the case of Leon Bailey. A wide player was wanted but could not happen without Bailey leaving.

Villa knew they were short of firepower without Rashford and Asensio. Even if Rashford’s time at Villa was encouraging rather than spectacular, he had impressed staff. He was described as “incredible in training” by sources, staying behind after sessions to do individual work. He even came to Bodymoor Heath following the conclusion of the campaign to complete rehabilitation for an injury.

The sticking point, though, was that he and Asensio were financially prohibitive. Rashford’s salary was nearly twice as much as Villa’s best-paid player, Emiliano Martinez. They looked at other attacking players like Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo, but were quoted £60m before significant add-ons.

Senior figures travelled to Madrid in June to explain the financial situation to Asensio’s representatives and why they could not afford the required package at the time. They explained that should funds be available towards the end of the window, circumstances may change. As it transpired, they nearly did, even though a deal was always described as “difficult” by observers close to the situation, owing to PSG wanting a fee and having to take on his high salary permanently.

An offer for Toulouse defender Jaydee Canvot was rejected. Toulouse wanted more than the offer that fell below €20m. Initially, Villa sought a young defender to understudy Ezri Konsa, and a higher fee would be difficult to reach. It was a figure that Crystal Palace achieved, causing Villa to pivot to Lindelof.

One moment of relief was Evann Guessand’s arrival from Nice. He was a player Villa had the funds to do, though they were reaching their limits, paying €30m plus a further €5m in add-ons. The 24-year-old’s versatility in playing across the frontline was key. Villa always felt they had room for Guessand, who had been tracked last season.

Emery was an admirer of Alejandro Garnacho, though Villa’s preference for a loan and the player wanting Chelsea made any hope of a move ambitious. Tyler Dibling was of interest but he left Southampton for Everton in a £35m deal.

Lucas Digne had been on Atletico Madrid’s shortlist before they decided to go elsewhere. His representatives visited Bodymoor in July to agree a two-year extension on top of the final 12 months existing, with the France international agreeing a cut in salary.

Speculation around Douglas Luiz returning on loan from Juventus was misplaced — sources insisted they were not interested in signing a midfielder then — so too were links to Porto forward Samu Aghehowa.

There were several players whose futures were profoundly uncertain.

Despite signing a lucrative, long-term contract six months earlier, it was an open secret around the training ground that Martinez wanted to leave. He had been telling team-mates and staff alike he was moving, yet it was unclear as to where, considering he did not want to go to Saudi Arabia and potential destinations, such as Atletico Madrid, had a goalkeeper.

His representatives had been in talks with Manchester United since the start of the year. Villa sources state Ruben Amorim and his international team-mate Lisandro Martinez had spoken to the goalkeeper about the possibility of joining United as early as July. Amorim outlined his plans, insisting Martinez would be a key player.

Those conversations continued throughout the summer and the goalkeeper was enamoured by what he heard. Any deal would have cost in excess of £30m and meant United took on his high salary, as Villa’s highest earner.



Had Martinez left earlier in the window, Espanyol’s Joan Garcia was seen as a perfect choice due to his £21.4m release clause. There was a belief that Lille’s Lucas Chevalier would cost €60m, which made further enquiries improbable.

Villa had done heavy due diligence on both keepers, who ended up joining Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, as well as Antwerp’s Senne Lammens, having been flagged within their data this summer.

At first, Martinez was seen to have settled back into the group and was accompanied by Villa’s first summer signing, Marco Bizot from Brest, who planned to serve as his deputy. The 34-year-old joined Villa for a fee in the low millions, which was internally regarded as a significant upgrade on Robin Olsen.

Martinez and United did not go away. It felt a taxing situation to come to terms with, given Emery had told journalists three days before the window shut that he did not expect any of his big players to leave, especially as he tends to leave the door ajar on most players’ futures. If Martinez left, Villa had to replace him, which only added to the list of tasks left to do in a short space of time — despite the interest, United had still not made a new proposal until the final day, when they were deciding between him and Lammens.

Emery and Monchi remain close with agent Jorge Mendes, similarly to many clubs and sporting directors, who have a representative they are closer to. In that respect, and with Mendes’ company Gestifute representing Emery, it is not unusual.

Mendes, however, had the capacity to be involved in several dealings. Reports of him being drafted in to assist Martinez with his transfer came early in the summer, while he represented Asensio and Porto’s goalkeeper, Diogo Costa. He was a player some staff thought would prove to be Martinez’s replacement.

Lammens, though, was viewed more favourably from a data perspective. Last season was difficult for Costa — viewed to have undergone a noticeable dip — with Lammens, only 23, regarded as the more consistent. He was discussed before Martinez revived his desire to move.

In the end, United decided on Lammens. Martinez was at Bodymoor on Monday, confidently waiting for United and Amorim to ask him to get to Manchester to complete a move. Much to his disappointment, the call never came. United never made a formal offer — just a phone call in July enquiring about a loan, which could have been regarded as a token gesture.

Rogers received interest from several Premier League clubs, including Arsenal and Chelsea. Villa were aware of suitors and knew he would be heavily relied upon this season as the chief source of creativity. They outlined their wish to arrange a new contract, intending to satisfy his status as an integral player.

At the end of July, Villa rejected a formal offer from Everton for captain John McGinn, despite news of a bid only surfacing in August. By that stage, Villa had made it clear that McGinn was staying and explained they, like with Rogers, hoped to agree a new contract with the Scotland international after the window.

Matty Cash held discussions over extending his stay but was the subject of interest from his former club, Nottingham Forest. Villa did not receive a formal approach as Forest decided to pursue other targets in the end.

Ollie Watkins’ situation was more opaque. Having grown frustrated at the end of last season when he was overlooked for both legs of the Champions League quarter-final against PSG, there was a feeling this summer was the time to part ways.

There were frank exchanges of opinion, but the 29-year-old is well-liked by staff, who describe him as a “gentleman” in his professional approach.



It was hard to see Villa finding an upgrade for a striker who has hit the 15 league goal threshold in each of the last three campaigns, especially under their restrictions. They had dismissed a £40m offer from Arsenal in January — a package that was to be paid in six separate instalments — while United identified Watkins as a candidate.

If Watkins had left, Villa had a list of potential replacements. RB Leipzig’s Lois Openda was admired and so too was Nicolas Jackson, who Emery worked with at Villarreal.

Gradually, the sands started to shift, albeit too slowly to consider meaningful recruits. Villa moved on peripheral figures, like Enzo Barrenechea, who signed for Benfica on loan with an obligation. Yasin Ozcan arrived at the start of July only to leave for Anderlecht on an initial loan with an option.

A resolution was found for high earner Philippe Coutinho after Villa had to wait for the final amortisation payment to Barcelona before releasing him with a year left on his contract.

Real Betis contacted Alex Moreno before opting for Leeds United’s Junior Firpo. Moreno eventually agreed to move to Girona, with Villa allowing the 32-year-old to leave for free in efforts to reduce the wage bill further, but with a 40 per cent sell-on clause.

Leander Dendoncker left for Oviedo for free and Bailey, having been in discussions with Turkish and Saudi Pro League clubs, settled for Roma. Talks had centred on a loan with obligation, yet ended with a loan plus an option. Roma are paying a fee, covering the entirety of his salary and this season’s amortisation.

With four days left of the window, Emery was still pushing for two to three players, showing he possessed a level of authority rarely seen among modern-day managers. Villa, in the meantime, had been offered players. RB Leipzig were keen to drive value in Lutsharel Geertruida, offering the defender to several clubs, including Villa, who were interested in him last summer and held preliminary talks again. Marseille’s Adrien Rabiot’s name was discussed among representatives.

Lindelof’s deal accelerated late on Sunday, with Villa beating Everton for his signature. At this stage, his former United team-mate Sancho was becoming an increasingly attractive proposition, separate from Martinez’s future.

Villa’s yearning for renewed impetus started to arrive. Villa struck terms for a season-long loan for Sancho, agreeing to cover 80 per cent of his sizeable salary. Emery’s desire for a creative midfielder was then found through Liverpool’s Elliott.

Staff had rated Elliott but were unsure if his acquisition could be pulled off, due to finances and RB Leipzig’s interest. Crucially, Villa received encouragement that Liverpool were open to structuring a favourable deal to aid compliance with UEFA restrictions. Elliott joined on a loan comprising an obligation to buy which is dependent on him making 10 appearances this season. Liverpool sources indicated that the package was worth around £35m, while Villa say it is a lower figure.

Villa had rejected an initial offer of a loan with an option to buy from Stuttgart for Emiliano Buendia earlier in the week and headed into the final day with his future uncertain. Buendia pushed to stay having been encouraged by the minutes he had received in recent matches.

Talks were held with Newcastle over the signing of forward William Osula, having opened lines of communication after Ramsey’s move. But any transfer proved increasingly unlikely as time on deadline day passed and was halted by Villa’s UEFA’s financial restrictions

All in all, three came through the door on the final day, adding to the two that had arrived. They had achieved Emery’s goal of adding quality and attempted to lift the gloom. Just.

[Dante Lavelli]

I think somehow, against all odds … we’ve not done that badly.

Kept most of the squad together. Only loses have been an unproductive Bailey and Ramsey who’s a genuine shame, but seems injury prone so perhaps not a terrible one to move on.

We’ve strengthened mildly. I like Elliot, he’s a good player. Sancho - jury is out. I’d be worried if he was our biggest name signing, but I don’t think he is now and there’s a small part of me that thinks he could thrive under Emery. Lindelöf, not one to set the pulses racing but probably works out cheaper than loaning a Disasi type player again. Feels a bit like we’ve at least attempted to address the lack of cover there anyway.

If paul_e was right and this is enough for us to exit the UEFA sanctions at the end of this season, it’ll be worth it IMO - as before, we’ve probably not got any worse and so that’s a good base to build from in 2026.

Time to reintegrate Big Emi and get on with the season.

I really hope I am.

With loan fees accounted for I think we're looking at about £20-25m in profit on transfers and with all the ins and outs I think we're looking at something like £25m off the annual wage bill as well, but there is a bit of guesswork in that because the numbers are hard to get for a lot of players.

The last published accounts for 23/24 had £252m for wages but over 13 months so £232m is a more accurate starting point. last season we were on to make a decent saving but most of that got eaten up by the loans. Even so I wouldn't be surprised if our projected wage bill for this season now sits at something like £200m, meaning we need revenue of £300m+ for this season, which seems likely even if we have a big drop off from last year by missing out on on the champions league.

So, with my napkin maths and a lot of estimates I think the position is:
PSR - no concerns
SCR - no concerns
UEFA Punishment - 3rd year target has been met already

If that's all correct and Martinez doesn't leave to Turkey/Saudi then:

Olsen - Bizot
Disasi - Lindelof
Asensio - Buendia
Rashford - Guessand
Bailey - Sancho
Ramsey - Elliott

I'll take that given how many balls we had to keep in the air whilst doing it. With the likes of Jimoh, Burrowes, Hemmings, Rowe and Patterson all seemingly heavily involved as well I think we're in a decent place.

I hope you’re correct in this paul. Thanks for grafting to work out some rough numbers for us.

Next season the strategy must be to reduce the average age. That won’t be easy as it’ll mean shipping out some ‘names’ that have been part of our recent growth.

[Dave]

If Watkins had left, Villa had a list of potential replacements. RB Leipzig’s Lois Openda was admired and so too was Nicolas Jackson, who Emery worked with at Villarreal.

Given we were looking at a forward who could play across the front, were mainly looking at loan signings, and we've allegedly been interested before was surprised to see Openda move on loan to Juventus yesterday.

I'd have preferred that to Guessand.

[paul_e]

Hopefully reducing the average age happens naturally as we bring some of the kids through anyway, which is why I don't mind the odd signing like Lindelof and Bizot who plug a gap and give us time and space to see if Proctor, Zych, Routh, Bogarde, etc can step up and take that place from them over the next 2 years.

My only real worry in that regard is that we, like most clubs, seem to be struggling to bring through strikers, across the rest of the pitch we either have kids in reserve who we're giving a chance or we already have a younger player in the first team squad.

[Somniloquism]

I'm surprised so many are blaming Monchi and Vidagney for the wage/revenue. I seem to remember the club was always around 90% most of the time it has ever been mentioned. The whole "tottenhams wage bill" debate 17 years ago was because we were that high wasn't it?

Didn't it only go to 96% because the club did a 13month accounting period which added an extra months costs during a time little revenue would have been coming in? I'm not sure that decicision would have been on Monchi/Vidagney.

[paul_e]

I'm surprised so many are blaming Monchi and Vidagney for the wage/revenue. I seem to remember the club was always around 90% most of the time it has ever been mentioned. The whole "tottenhams wage bill" debate 17 years ago was because we were that high wasn't it?

Didn't it only go to 96% because the club did a 13month accounting period which added an extra months costs during a time little revenue would have been coming in? I'm not sure that decicision would have been on Monchi/Vidagney.

Yep, 87% is the 'real' figure and even then that is pointless for SCR because that's measured on calendar year not by season.