Overview

• Aston Villa confirmed Monchi has stepped down as president of football operations to take an advisory role at V Sports, with Roberto Olabe appointed as his successor.
• Club insiders frame the move as backing for Unai Emery, who had a significant say in Olabe’s hiring and has longstanding ties with him, consolidating the manager’s influence on sporting strategy.
• Villa’s flexibility in the market remains constrained by financial rules, with a reported £252m wage bill in 2023-24 and a UEFA fine highlighting compliance pressures.
• The team has started the league with three points and one goal from five games, and Emery called his players “lazy” after a 1-1 draw at Sunderland.
• Reporting describes a chaotic summer window and player frustration over stalled recruitment, with the sale of Jacob Ramsey viewed internally as a hit to dressing-room morale.