Transfer Window Summer 2025. The Verdict.

[eye digress]

Judging it purely on the outcomes, I would give a 5/10, on the basis that the squad is roughly equivalent to 12 months ago.

If I were to factor in a "market difficulty" premium, that would bump it up to a 6 or a 7/10.

Personally, I thought that we needed something more radical this summer, believing that "one last push" with this spine was not going to enable us to make progress. Circumstances seemed to be pointing in that direction too, with a few attractive assets ripe to leave in Emi, Ollie and (in my view) Konsa. So for me, a 10/10 would probably have seen them depart and the cash reinvested in the team.




 

[brontebilly]

Not going to repost JT's piece but it must be a surprise to the club, and the players themselves, how friendless Watkins & Martinez were on the market. Amorim might have wanted both but he's on very thin ice there so I can see why he was overruled. Hardly a hint of interest elsewhere it seems. 

Think I put this on another thread but I'd have looked to have moved on others to regenerate the squad in the circumstances way ahead of JJ. Sure we finished the season strong but Wembley & Old Trafford were finisher days really for Emerys team. Kamara for me, despite being a very talented player, Id have moved on and Konsa too (no surprise) both ahead of JJ. Misfits like Onana and Malen are pointless and should have been moved on again. I'm definitely a fan of Elliot over Asensio, I can see the logic there. Guessand and Sancho are odd signings, one would have done and budget spent elsewhere.

Anyway, thankfully it's over and we go again.

[frank black]

It’s been a window to forget. Not so much in that we haven’t been canny etc… Elliott should be a hit.

Just the fact that we have been left stranded by the big 4/5 teams flexing their substantial financial clout. Our progress has effectively been extinguished (on paper). The only saving grace being Unai and the hope that we can still be competitive

[eye digress]

It’s been a window to forget. Not so much in that we haven’t been canny etc… Elliott should be a hit.

Eliot is the one real light from the window. Whisper it, but he is an upgrade on JJ. Much is expected of him – do hope he's brought his shooting boots.

[Drummond]

Not going to repost JT's piece but it must be a surprise to the club, and the players themselves, how friendless Watkins & Martinez were on the market. Amorim might have wanted both but he's on very thin ice there so I can see why he was overruled. Hardly a hint of interest elsewhere it seems. 

Think I put this on another thread but I'd have looked to have moved on others to regenerate the squad in the circumstances way ahead of JJ. Sure we finished the season strong but Wembley & Old Trafford were finisher days really for Emerys team. Kamara for me, despite being a very talented player, Id have moved on and Konsa too (no surprise) both ahead of JJ. Misfits like Onana and Malen are pointless and should have been moved on again. I'm definitely a fan of Elliot over Asensio, I can see the logic there. Guessand and Sancho are odd signings, one would have done and budget spent elsewhere.

Anyway, thankfully it's over and we go again.

You're nuts.

Kamara? That's a joke and renders your opinion on most things as questionable.
Konsa, well you're blind as far as he's concerned.
Malen and Onana have no profit in them so pointless moving on.

[Monty]

Drummond, everyone's shit and should be sold and that's just how it is. Apart from Matty Cash.

[N'ZMAV]

We were told at the start of the summer that it would be a tough summer with finances, the UEFA message was that we had to make a profit….it was and we have.

Obviously sacrificing JJ was far far from ideal & it’s never good selling a home grown player you don’t want to sell.  If he stays fit (& I won’t miss the panic everytime he goes down holding that foot!) and gets a run up there he will likely be around the England squad at some point.

Guessand as the only cash outlay will essentially be the one we judge the window by. 

I personally wouldn’t have gone near Lindelof but financially the deal make sense when you consider how much we paid out on Disasi last year to be a back up.  It gives back up to Konsa which was needed….not sure it helps the right back woes though.

Sancho is another punt…get the Dortmund Sancho out of him then he is an asset….not sure any other club has got anything of that form out of him so it’s a big one for Unai to achieve.

Elliott from nowhere was a pleasant surprise and turned a very poor window into one we could work with.

Again, very personal opinion but I am glad we didn’t go back for Asensio - sure him and Duran will bite us on the arse in the Europa game but I think we had the real value out of him in that short, sharp loan period…be interesting to see how he goes in Turkey but I suspect he’ll move about a few times in next 2/3 years gradually down the level of clubs.

Having said the output from Guessand will be where the window is judged it will actually be the next 2/3 weeks and how the club & player deal with the Martinez fall out…explain what happened, get all the players back on the same page until at least January and we go again…if he isn’t reintegrated quickly it will overshadow everything so needs to be done

For me;
Sunday 5.45pm - window was D
Monday 7pm - window was C+

Summed up perfectly for me.

[N'ZMAV]

Lindelop is a replacement for Disasi. I'd say an improvement

[Meanwood Villa]

I've often found myself non-plussed after transfer windows under Unai only to be proven wrong so long may it continue.

Interesting comments re lack of suitors for Ollie and Emi. It was definitely my preference to keep them but they need to show they're still up to it if we're to have a good season along with the likes of Konsa, McGinn, Tielemans, Rogers. All players who have been massively important to good form in the past and need to be again.

[olaftab]

Not sure where to stick this so I’ll plonk it here:

https://archive.is/2025.09.01-215420/https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-15055389/Aston-Villa-transfer-news-Emiliano-Martinez.html

Thanks. This is a good reminder to any of our fans not wanting him around: If Martinez stays, Villa fans should look at the examples of Luka Modric and Luis Suarez, two of the best players to grace the Premier League. Modric was at odds with Tottenham in summer 2011, as was Suarez with Liverpool two years later.
Both wanted to leave, both were told to stay – and delivered fine seasons before moving on the following spring. There is no reason Martinez cannot do the same, especially with a World Cup to retain next summer.

[London Villan]

He's too important and good to be bomb-squaded.

[cdbearsfan]

I think Barry and Southgate both had full seasons for us after expressing a desire to leave, too.

[Clampy]

I wouldn't have minded the young kid Redmond sticking around but hopefully he'll have a cracking season at Huddersfield. It'll be interesting to see how he does.

[jwarry]

I suppose the big question is whether Elliott, Sancho and Lindelof are an upgrade on JJ, Bailey and Disasi, and to be fair it’s a close call - and of course we now have Guessand.   Obviously Asensio and Rashford upped our squad in the winter but there I suppose we could do that again although loan spots are already taken up

All in all we are now no worse off than we were at the beginning of last season

[LeeS]

I wouldn't have minded the young kid Redmond sticking around but hopefully he'll have a cracking season at Huddersfield. It'll be interesting to see how he does.

I agree. One of my great pleasures of following the Villa, and being on this site, is the loanwatch thread. Increases interest when not much is happening with the first team.