Latest Aston Villa news as old boy Philippe Senderos passes judgement on Unai Emery's side and their Premier League prospects
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery
Work to do... Villa boss Unai Emery(Image: The FA via Getty Images)
Aston Villa have been "overlooked" ahead of the new Premier League season and could yet surprise a few people.
That is the view of old boy Philippe Senderos, who played for the Villans for two years between 2014 and 2016.
Reflecting on Villa's relatively quiet summer transfer window, the one time defender told gaming site Football Betting: "You always know that the bigger teams will move early and spend, and then it becomes like dominoes.
"Villa are probably in that second tier of clubs waiting for the big moves to happen before they go for their targets. That’s no disrespect to Villa, it’s just how the market works.
"Maybe people are overlooking Villa because they’ve been stable and haven’t gone too crazy in the market."
Unai Emery and Co have so far overseen just three first-team arrivals. Evann Guessand, Yasin Ozcan and Marco Bizot have come in while the likes of Kaine Kesler-Hayden, Philippe Coutinho and Robin Olsen have been shipped out.
Meanwhile, academy graduate Jacob Ramsey looks set to join the list of departures amid talk of a £40 million deal reportedly agreed with Newcastle United.
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However, Senderos has warned against underestimating his old team - and says their best summer business could yet be to come.
He explained: "They have a great manager, great players, a good sporting director and a good setup at Aston Villa.
"I’m sure they’re thinking about these things, the projection of the team not only for this season, but for the future.
"They competed last year in the Champions League, and next year they’ll want to compete again, so I’m sure they’re considering where they can invest, how they can invest, and which players to sell at the right time.
"Monchi is a very experienced sporting director, and I’m sure they’ve got a plan. Villa have done tremendous under Unai Emery, and I’m sure they’ll continue to be competitive."
Villa get their 2025/26 Premier League campaign underway on Saturday when they host Newcastle in a televised 12.30pm kick-off.