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Aston Villa plans take shape as Monchi reveals club's transfer masterplan
The international break has already been eventful for Aston Villa fans with the news about Ezri Konsa's injury on duty for England, hitting the headlines for all the wrong reasons.
There is still plenty going on in the claret and blue universe, despite the pause in the footballing calendar. Here we take a look at the latest news we have been delivering your way.
Plenty for Unai Emery to smile about
The sight of Ollie Watkins expertly clipping Noni Maduake’s cross into the Greece net will be one that brought a smile to Unai Emery’ s face. The Aston Villa striker bagged the first of England’s three goals in Athens on Thursday night and set his country on the way to a 3-0 victory that put them back in control of their Nations League group.
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It was the striker’s first goal in six games and the sixth of what has been a season that is yet to hit the heights of his outstanding 2023/24 campaign.
It is also a season in which a challenger for his role as Emery’s first choice No. 9 has emerged, with Jhon Duran’s impact off the bench – and in relief of Watkins – creating a narrative that simply didn’t exist previously.
And data has emerged that neatly sums up the situation – and Duran’s growing calls to overhaul Watkins in the pecking order. Those figures, from Grosvenor Sport, centre around the respective players’ xG numbers.
But there's a key concern
Ezri Konsa has posted a message to fans on social media after helping England beat Greece in the Nations League.
The Villa defender started the tie in Athens on Thursday night, which the Three Lions won 3-0, but limped off early in the second half, sparking fears he may have suffered an injury ahead of Villa’s return to Premier League action next weekend.
Interim England boss Lee Carsley issued an update on Konsa’s injury after the final whistle, saying: "Ezri got a slight problem with his hip, so he will get a scan tomorrow.
“If there's any kind of doubt he will go straight back to Aston Villa. He was actually OK just then, in terms of walking around and he's in a good place."
Konsa has since posted a message on Instagram. He did not allude to the problem which forced him off, but said: “3 points we needed tonight. Thank you for the brilliant support.”
His post was hijacked by Villa fans worried about his fitness, with Unai Emery’s side set to face Crystal Palace at Villa Park when Premier League action resumes after the international break, on Saturday, November 23.
“Hope you’re okay, Ezri!! Rest up, please!” one said, while another added: “Get back to Bodymoor immediately please.” A third said: “Don’t be injured next week please”.
Monchi's masterplan revealed
Villa president of football operations Monchi has divulged the club's transfer process as they prepare for the January window, in which the Lions could strengthen their squad. Villa conducted a busy summer in which Amadou Onana, Ian Maatsen and Jaden Philogene were among the biggest deals the club completed, while they sold Moussa Diaby and Douglas Luiz.
Villa have had to be careful not to breach PSR in recent windows but they could dip back into the market in the winter to replenish their squad, which is currently fighting on fronts domestic and European and will begin their FA Cup campaign at the beginning of next year.
Monchi, who arrived with Unai Emery two years ago, has revealed how he breaks down his scouting system, which identifies players from around the world based on specific criteria, and how they shave down their options before they land on their desired target.
“I plan the transfer market with a scouting department and a data department. Data is important but not infallible," Monchi told Ole. "We have to shorten the time taken to make decisions and reduce the margin of error. We oversee approximately 32 championships divided into three levels (class A, B and C). Argentina is class A.
“The coach chooses the profiles he needs, not the names. We select a list, we refine it to around 15 players and at that stage I sit down with Emery and we choose four or five. With those I start to negotiate to see conditions, salary, possibility of leaving, etc. From there the chosen one finally comes out.
“Money opens up opportunities but it doesn’t bring you success. Aston Villa have invested a lot but they are also one of the biggest earners. We reinvested what we had generated, but we are still a long way from the clubs that dominate English football.”
Monchi also identified Argentina as a country which is constantly churning out talented players. Villa have Emi Martinez, Emi Buendia and Enzo Barrenchea on their books and it's plausible that more could follow them to Villa Park.
“I am obviously convinced that there will be,” he added. “Argentine football is a breeding ground for talent, we closely monitor the championship. I don’t know if in the next transfer market, but they will continue to be part of our club, for sure.”
Friendly wagers
Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez has revealed that he takes wagers with the club's strikers in order to keep up competitive levels throughout the course of a season. Martinez, who has won the Yashin Trophy in each of the last two years, has been in goal at Villa Park since arriving from Arsenal in 2021.
In that time, the Argentine has won the World Cup with his country and established himself as one of the best stoppers in Europe and beyond - indeed THE best. That has, in part, been driven by competition generated from within the Villa squad, which has elevated itself from relegation threatened to Champions League competing in the space of two seasons.
Martinez has challenged his striker colleagues, Ollie Watkins and Jhon Duran, to score more goals than he keeps clean sheets - and, according to the man himself, he bets watches that he can secure more shut-outs!
Game changing VAR boost on horizon?
Premier League managers might soon have the opportunity to contest refereeing decisions as FIFA contemplates overhauling VAR. The English top-flight brought in VAR ahead of the 2019/2020 season, but it has been plagued with issues ever since.
Managers, players, pundits and fans have all expressed frustration with the system. Howard Webb, the PGMOL's chief refereeing officer, has tried to clarify misunderstandings about VAR, but has also had to frequently apologise for his officials' decisions.
Recently, Aston Villa were incensed by a couple of contentious decision during their 2-0 defeat at Liverpool, while Wolves have long complained about their treatment at the hands of VAR.
Louie Barry - the goals keep flowing
Villa have a host of players out on loan this season. Among them are exciting pair Tommi O'Reilly and Josh Feeney at Shrewsbury Town, Lino Sousa at Bristol Rovers and Rico Richards at Port Vale. Then they have the internationals; Philippe Coutinho, Leander Dendoncker, Enzo Barrenechea, Alex Moreno and Samuel Iling-Junior have mixed futures ahead of them.
Perhaps as exciting a prospect of any on this list right now is Louie Barry. Signed as a prospering teenager from Barcelona in 2020, having come through the ranks as a goal machine at West Bromwich Albion prior to that, the Sutton Coldfield forward has been exposed to precious minutes and opportunities in the first-team environment.
Indeed the one chance granted presented itself because of circumstance; Barry netted in the 4-1 FA Cup defeat to Liverpool, at a time when Covid ruled out the entire Villa first team squad. Since, it's been a series of loans in order for Barry, who has built up experience elsewhere over the course of the last three years.
Now 21, Barry has spent time at Ipswich, Swindon, MK Dons, Salford and, now, he can be found at Stockport County. Indeed it's going well; Barry, whose loan club are into the next round of Bristol Street Motors Trophy alongside Villa under 21s, helped fired Stockport to promotion with a run of seven goals in as many league games through August and October last year. Injury struck but he returned to help the club over the line as League Two champions.
The opportunity for Barry to return to Edgeley Park in the summer and he has lit up League One since; the striker has netted 11 goals already for the high fliers this season, contributing towards two in the 5-0 hammering of Bolton Wanderers last weekend and helping to inspire the club into the play-offs.
Having extended his contract before leaving Villa in the summer, there'll be a decision for Unai Emery to make in pre-season 2025 on whether to integrate the forward into his ranks or if more minutes away from Villa Park is the route to take; Barry will turn 22 next June and it feels as though we're reaching now or never territory as he seeks to make an impact in the Villa first-team sphere.
Chelsea midfielder a rumoured January target
Villa have been linked with a move for Chelsea midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall in the January transfer window. Dewsbury-Hall only moved to Chelsea from Leicester City in the summer, having inspired the Foxes' title success under Enzo Maresca and ensuring the club returned to the Premier League at the first time of asking.
Dewsbury-Hall was one of a host of new signings Chelsea made in the summer, a list which includes Jadon Sancho, Joao Felix, Pedro Neto, Tosin Adarabioyo and Villa's very own Omari Kellyman. The midfielder, who excelled in the division below last year and delivered a string of performances which prompted Maresca to bring him with the Italian to Stamford Bridge, has featured painfully little up to now, however.
Dewsbury-Hall has played just 43 minutes of Premier League football spanning three appearances this season, and only one of those games - a six-minute run-out at West Ham - has occurred since August. While in the Europa Conference League and the EFL Cup minutes have been afforded more frequently - Dewsbury-Hall scored in a 4-2 win over Gent - he routinely hasn't made the Premier League squad in recent weeks.
Despite having only arrived in West London, the immediate future of the 26-year-old - who cost Chelsea £30m - has come under the spotlight. Reports abroad suggest Villa could offer the Blues a deal in which they take Dewsbury-Hall on loan for the second half of this season, once the January transfer window opens, with the option of buying the player outright next summer if the move works out as planned.
Chelsea would want to recoup the £30m they spent on Dewsbury-Hall, who is currently behind Moises Caicedo, Romeo Lavia and Enzo Fernandez in Maresca's existing midfield pecking order, while Cesare Casadei and Carney Chukwuemeka are also available to the manager. The club allowed academy product Conor Gallagher to leave for Atletico Madrid in the summer.
Villa, meanwhile, aren't short of midfield options currently and so the links might raise eyebrows, although those who are available to Unai Emery have been struggling with various knocks and issues; Boubacar Kamara and Jacob Ramsey have wrestled with various injury problems for some time and both suffered injuries at Liverpool at the weekend. Youri Tielemans and Amadou Onana have held down spots while Ross Barkley is also an option.
Torres troubles on Spain duty
Villa defender Pau Torres has returned to the club this international break after feeling some 'muscle discomfort' while preparing to represent his native Spain. Centre half Torres has been a regular pick for Unai Emery ever since he joined from Villarreal in the summer of 2023 and, certainly when fit, has routinely lined up alongside the likes of Ezri Konsa and Diego Carlos in the heart of the Villa back-line.
Torres ' performances for Villa have continued to earn him international recognition and he was selected to face Denmark and Switzerland in this, the final round of Nations League matches in 2024 and the final international break of the year. However, the centre half has complained of muscle discomfort while away and has been allowed to return to England.
A statement from Spain's football federation read: "The international defender has been sidelined from the training camp and will not travel with the team for the UEFA Nations League matches against Denmark and Switzerland.
"The Aston Villa player arrived with muscle discomfort from his match against Liverpool and after the tests carried out by the RFEF Medical Services it is estimated that he will not be fit in time for the last two international matches of the year and in this way he will avoid running any kind of risk."
Torres will now be assessed back at Bodymoor Heath before Villa entertain Crystal Palace and Juventus, and then head to Chelsea, once the jam-packed domestic schedule resumes. The Spaniard has played 15 matches this season, including all of the club's Premier League and Champions League fixtures to date.
