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Aston Villa will be looking to take their squad to the next level over the summer months
Aston Villa’s season has been, quite frankly, bizarre. They had to wait until late September for their first win of the campaign, as cries of discontent grew - with some even demanding the sacking of manager Unai Emery. They proceeded to casually picked up eleven victories on the trot between November and December, before falling into a pattern of distinct unpredictability in the new year.
As things stand, they could well emerge dishevelled and bleary eyed from the overgrown hedge maze that has been their 2025/26 season with a Champions League place and even a European trophy, as they close in on a Europa League semi-final thanks to a confident 3-1 away win in Bologna last week.
Chaos on the field aside, thoughts will also be turning to the kind of transfer business Villa could do this summer, ahead of the window opening in mid-June. With that in mind, we fired up the latest edition of Football Manager, and had the simulator predict all the business the Villans could conduct before the start of the 2026/27 campaign:
Aston Villa predicted summer transfer window - new signings in
Ritsu Doan - £35m from Eintracht Frankfurt: Villa tore out of the traps and got their first deal done just days after the window opened, presumably concerned interest in Doan would grow during the World Cup. The Japan international is a dazzling winger blessed with pace and technical ability, and provides some much needed depth on the right wing.
Joe Gomez - £29m from Liverpool: Quite how Liverpool persuaded the Villans to part with close to £30m for a player with just one year left on his contract is the question we’re asking here. Still, he’ll add bags of experience to Villa’s defence, and his ability to also play at full-back will give Emery plenty of options at the back. Gomez is one of a number of players who could leave Liverpool this summer.
Rayan Ait-Nouri - loan from Man City: Young England international Nico O’Reilly managed to nail down that starting spot at City, leaving Ait-Nouri feeling rather fed up. The Algerian pushed for a temporary move away from the Etihad Stadium to consider his long-term future, after being lured to Villa Park with the option to still play Champions League football.
Linus Gechter - £1.8m from Hertha Berlin: Perhaps mindful of both UEFA and the Premier League’s financial restrictions, Villa reined in the spending here and plucked themselves a bit of a bargain from Germany’s second tier. The towering centre-back, 22, is a player with plenty of promise - he’s has been capped five time’s for his country’s U21 squad.
Victor Boniface - £35m from Bayer Leverkusen: Okay, maybe they weren’t so fussed about those financial restrictions after all. The highly-coveted Nigerian striker was next through the door, giving Villa the extra option up top they’ve been crying out for this season. In real life, he’s looking to rejuvenate his career on loan at Werder Bremen, after some issues with knee injuries.
Wesley - free transfer from Al Nassr: Like so many players before him, Wesley swiftly realised that sub-standard football in the desert isn’t worth the obscene pay packet, and terminated his contract with the Saudi Pro League side. A 21-year-old wide midfielder, Wesley offers Villa another exciting option on the flanks.
Aston Villa predicted summer transfer window - players sold
Matty Cash - £30m to Atalanta: Like it or not, those books had to be balanced. Villa’s star right-back was first to leave, after being lured to northern Italy by the Serie A staples. A previous club Player of the Season, the Poland international will be sorely missed by the Villa faithful.
Leon Bailey - £10m to Stade Brest: With one year left on his contract and new signings coming in, Villa bid farewell to Bailey after five seasons in the West Midlands. The former UEFA Golden Boy nominee never quite delivered on the early hype that saw England scrambling to see whether he was eligible for a call-up during his Bayer Leverkusen days.
Enzo Barrenechea - £10m to Benfica: No surprises here, as he’s already there in real life on loan, with the club having an obligation to buy him this summer. The 24-year-old left Villa Park without playing a single game for the side, and they’ll be hoping he isn’t a late bloomer whose premature sale comes back to haunt them in the future.
Lucas Digne - £12m to OGC Nice: Despite only signing a contract extension last summer, the Frenchman decided to head back to Ligue 1 after making over 170 appearances for Villa. The exit looks to have been prompted by the arrival of Ait-Nouri on loan, with Ian Maatsen also an option at left-back along with the newly signed Gomez.
Emi Buendia - £25m to Newcastle United: The Argentina international has enjoyed quite an unexpected revival at Villa Park this season, but his fine form attracted the interest of Villa’s Premier League rivals. With a load of money splashed out on new signings, the club had no choice but to cash in on the 29-year-old.
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