It's been a quiet summer for Aston Villa up to this point, but there's a lot to be said for continuity, which wasn't guaranteed after missing out on Champions League football
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery
Aston Villa faced a decision in the days following their painful final day defeat at Manchester United.
Marred by controversy, Villa’s performance at Old Trafford still merited no more than a 2-0 loss - even if Morgan Rogers should have opened the scoring with 15 minutes to play.
Without Champions League revenue this financial year, the summer was always going to be a challenging one for Villa.
Their plan, however, was to keep the players Unai Emery deemed indispensable, maintaining continuity heading into the new season, but that wasn't totally in their control after missing out on qualification for UEFA's elite club competition.
It speaks volumes about Villa’s project that the likes of Boubacar Kamara and Lucas Digne have both committed their futures to the club by signing new deals, despite the absence of Champions League football next term.
Villa will also look to offer Rogers fresh terms, while Youri Tielemans will need to be rewarded for his sensational campaign.
The Belgian is one of several players with fewer than two years remaining on his current contract, along with Matty Cash, John McGinn, and Jacob Ramsey.
Villa want all four to sign new deals, and progress is expected in the coming weeks.
Tyrone Mings was the first player tied down this summer, agreeing to a 12-month extension that takes him through to 2027.
The alternative for Villa would have been to cash in on players with expiring contracts and reinvest the proceeds - or worse still, to sell key assets. But there’s been no unrest in the dressing room or players agitating for moves, which other clubs may have had to deal with after failing to return to the Champions League.
It’s easy to forget that, despite a quiet transfer window, Villa’s squad remains littered with talent - with two quality options in most positions.
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery
Marco Bizot is an upgrade on Robin Olsen and will compete with the current number one, Emi Martínez. There has been plenty of speculation surrounding the Argentina goalkeeper, but Villa are yet to receive any reasonable offers.
At right-back, Cash has been the regular starter over the past two seasons, during which Villa finished fourth and sixth. Andrés García impressed when called upon last term.
Lamare Bogarde is viewed as a versatile option for Emery, but currently serves as deputy to Ezri Konsa, though Villa have been looking to recruit in this area.
Pau Torres and Mings provide strong choices on the left side of defence, while Digne and Ian Maatsen give Villa one of the best left-back departments in the league.
Amadou Onana can play alongside or instead of Kamara, which could influence where Tielemans operates, given his ability to play in a double pivot or as a number 10.
Ross Barkley missed Villa’s U.S. tour through injury - a blow considering he spent months sidelined last season with a knee ligament problem.
Ramsey, Rogers, McGinn, Donyell Malen, and new signing Evann Guessand are all options to support striker Ollie Watkins. More depth may be needed in this area if Emi Buendía and Leon Bailey depart.
Last January showed the benefits of adding squad depth, and that opportunity will remain for Villa this season.
Before Guessand’s arrival, captain McGinn told BirminghamLive why he was never worried about the squad’s strength going into the new campaign.
"It's the same for every supporter - they want a new toy," McGinn began. "When you’ve not got them in the summer, you think, ‘Oh, where are they?’ But then you realise we’re actually alright here.
"We just signed Bouba [Kamara] to a new long-term contract, and he’s one of the best midfielders in Europe. We’ve held onto some big players. It’s not all doom and gloom. We’re positive going into the new season and want to make it a special one.
"Ever since the manager came in, we’ve achieved things we hadn’t done before. He’s as motivated as us to do it again."
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