Break-up of Villa's Europa heroes leaves cracks for Emery to fill

Aston Villa’s European heroes are already part of history.

They ended a 30-year wait for a trophy by lifting the Europa League in May against Freiburg but the club could have sold six of the starting XI by the end of the transfer window.

Ezri Konsa’s imminent £51m departure to Arsenal is the latest high-profile exit at Villa Park this summer as Unai Emery’s squad undergoes drastic change.

Istanbul goalscorers Youri Tielemans and Morgan Rogers left last month, Rogers’ £117m move to Chelsea a record for an English player.

Lucas Digne was sold to Paris St-Germain and Villa must also find a solution for goalkeeper Emi Martinez after his failed move to Juventus and the signing of his replacement - Zion Suzuki.

Al-Hilal may also test Villa’s resolve again before the 1 September transfer deadline for Ollie Watkins, with the Premier League club reportedly tabling a new contract to try to keep the striker.

That would leave Matty Cash, Pau Torres, Victor Lindelof, John McGinn and Emi Buendia as those who remain from the 11 that started in Istanbul.

Like many, Villa are a selling club, mainly due to necessity, and have been for a number of years.

They must comply with Uefa’s squad cost ratio (SCR) which restricts them to spending 70% of their football related revenue on player and staff wages, transfer fees and agent fees.

They have already been fined twice by Uefa for breaches, being hit with a £9.5m sanction last year and a £19.4m fine in June, although £12.9m was suspended after Villa came to a settlement agreement with Europe’s governing body. But it has meant the club’s hands are tied in the transfer window.

The Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) also limited financial losses to a maximum of £105 million over a rolling three-year period.

In their latest accounts, ending 30 June 2025, Villa had a post-tax profit of £17m but their two previous years showed losses of £119.6m (2023) and £85.4m (2024).

The regulations have now been replaced by SCR, which sees the Premier League fall in line with Uefa’s model.

“It’s necessity because of the rules,” one former Villa executive told BBC Sport, when asked about the sales. “The PSR, the SCR, issues are well documented.”

“It does seem slightly unfair they’re having their ambition capped at this level. But it has forced this very big churn of players, which is unfortunate.”

“Some will be forced due to PSR, some will be player demand. Combined it makes a big problem for Emery and certainly it is a lot to swallow in one go and to try and replace.”

This summer has crystalised their situation further because of the high profile nature of the departures.

Villa had raised just over £200m with the sales of Jhon Duran (£71m), Douglas Luiz (£42.5m), Jacob Ramsey (£40m) and Moussa Diaby (£50m) over the past two years.

This window will see them bank, once the Konsa deal goes through, around £212m, including £9m for Lewis Dobbin who never played a senior game for Villa before leaving for Southampton.

The academy has also paid its way comfortably with Jaden Philogene and Cameron Archer being bought back to be sold again, while Burnley spent £12m on Aaron Ramsey in 2023.

Internally, when Villa first returned to the Champions League in 2024, it was recognised it would be harder for academy prospects to break into the squad which left Villa more open to selling them.

Last summer their gross transfer spend was £71m which was dwarfed by Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal who were all over £200m while Wolves, who finished bottom last season, were £109m.

It justifies Emery’s argument Villa are not part of the elite, especially when they spent months working on a deal for Conor Gallagher only for Tottenham to be the ones to step in and buy him in January.

Rogers’ £117m move to Chelsea this summer was the easiest way for Villa to comply with Uefa’s financial rules.

The plan came after their first fine last year and under it they must break even in 2026-27.

Their run to the Champions League quarter-finals in 2024-25 banked them close to £70m and the main reason they managed to turn a profit in the latest accounts.

Winning the Europa League means Villa guaranteed themselves around £45.6m, which includes the minimum earned for qualifying for next season’s Champions League.

Despite the departures optimism remains. Last week’s battling Super Cup defeat in Salzburg to Paris St-Germain still showed Villa’s competitiveness and Emery’s powers of adaptability.

Emery has constantly needed to roll with the punches during his three-and-a-half years in charge but he has consistently improved Villa, having taken over when they were 14th following Steven Gerrard’s reign.

In Austria, skipper John McGinn pointed to the fact they still have Emery while others - Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea - have new managers and that Villa’s structure remains intact.

“We have a structure in place, standards and rules which have made us a success. I am really excited about the new Aston Villa,” said McGinn.

That includes Brian Madjo after Villa won their battle with Fifa to register the 17-year-old earlier this month.

The striker scored on his debut against PSG, eight months after initially signing from Metz for £10m, and could prove one of the surprises of the season.

The drive towards younger players comes after Roberto Olabe replaced Monchi last September as president of football operations with a long-to-mid term directive on transfers.

Midfielder Joao Gomes, 25, goalkeeper Zion Suzuki, 23 and defender Matteo Ruggeri, 24, have joined this summer after 20-year-old Johan Manzambi became the club’s record buy in July.

They have also had an £18m bid rejected for 24-year-old Southampton defender Taylor Harwood-Bellis.

The loan signing, with an obligation to buy, of Alejandro Garnacho from Chelsea allows Villa to spread the cost while Aaron Wan-Bissaka is due to move from West Ham on a similar deal.

“The problem is they may now be at the end of a chain of transfer deals, with the players involved and their transfer targets dependent on other moves happening first,” said the former Villa decision-maker.

Above all, though, Emery remains Villa’s biggest asset and he has overhauled them before. This time it would be one of his biggest achievements.

“There’s a lot of hope and ambition resting with the manager,” said the ex-Villa Park executive.

“He’s the ace card they’ve got left and everybody’s hoping with his experience and knowledge they can pull through.”

“It’s a lot of pressure on him and you’ve got to wonder if he’s trying to think ‘maybe I need to go somewhere else with more resources?’”

“I don’t think it’ll be this season but, at some stage as a manager, you get fed up juggling all those demands.”

Fleetwood sign Bristol City midfielder Murphy

Fleetwood Town have signed Bristol City midfielder Adam Murphy on a six-month loan deal.

Murphy, 21, made five appearances during a loan spell with Swindon Town last season.

The Republic of Ireland Under-21 international could make his Cod Army debut against Gillingham on Saturday.

“Once I spoke to the gaffer and he outlined what he wanted me to do and how he wants us to play, I felt it aligned with the strengths I can bring,” he told the club website.

Inter complete £30m deal for Liverpool's Jones

Curtis Jones joined Liverpool’s academy at the age of nine

Inter Milan have signed Curtis Jones from Liverpool in a deal worth 35m euros (£30m).

The Reds accepted an offer worth 30m euros (£25.7m) plus 5m euros (£4.3m) in add-ons for the 25-year-old midfielder, who has signed a contract with Inter running until 2031.

“It’s a club that I’ve wanted to join for a while now so I’m excited,” Jones said.

“I’m a Scouse kid who came all the way through [at Liverpool] but I’m at a point now when I want to take the next step and I think this is the perfect club.”

Liverpool have negotiated a 10% sell-on clause as part of the deal.

In June, Liverpool rejected a verbal offer of 25m euros (£21.7m) from the Serie A champions, with the Premier League side valuing their academy graduate, who had one year left on his contract, at about £35m.

More recently, Liverpool suggested that something in line with the £30m package that Inter paid Tottenham for Djed Spence would probably mean a deal being struck.

Inter were interested in Jones in January and proposed a loan with a view to a transfer, but that was turned down by Liverpool.

Jones made 228 appearances for Liverpool, having been given his debut by Jurgen Klopp in 2019.

Last season, he played 49 times in all competitions but only made 18 starts in the Premier League and struggled to secure a regular starting spot in midfield under Arne Slot.

Jones, who joined Liverpool’s academy at the age of nine, has become the third English player to join Inter this summer, after John Stones and Spence.

“After 16 years, it’s time to say goodbye,” he wrote on Instagram.

“This club is all I’ve ever known. I came here as a kid and I’m leaving as a man with a family of my own, which probably puts into perspective just how much of my life I’ve spent here.”

“Liverpool will always be a massive part of me. I came here as a kid with a dream, and I’m leaving having lived it.”

Medication switch behind Musiala collapses - Bayern

A change in medication contributed to Bayern Munich midfielder Jamal Musiala’s collapses in recent friendlies, says head coach Vincent Kompany.

Earlier this week, Musiala said he is being treated for a “neurological dysfunction”, which causes “temporary, brief, but easily treatable” seizures.

Bayern confirmed there were signs of the 23-year-old’s condition before the World Cup and were aware of it before the start of last season, but they had yet to see it affect him playing football.

Speaking before Saturday’s German Supercup match against Borussia Dortmund, Kompany said a “slight” change in Musiala’s medication had led to two collapses in four days against RB Leipzig and Heidenheim.

“I spoke with Jamal, he said, ‘no problem, you can say it’,” said Kompany.

“He made a slight change to his treatment, which caused some side effects. It’s perfectly normal to make changes to a treatment plan,” added the Bayern boss.

“The initial shock for us was a long time ago. Therefore, we’re not talking about it that much at the moment.

“We’ve received much more information since then and made decisions with the help of leading experts. Jamal has everyone’s support.”

Bayern’s sporting director Max Eberl said the club were fully behind the player, who had wanted his condition to be made public.

“We’ve known about it the entire last season. The players also knew about it. For us, it’s become part of everyday life,” said Eberl.

“We will give him all our support, have already done so, and will continue to do so. We’re doing this together.”

After ruling out Jamal Musiala for the Supercup opener alongside Lennard Maloney and Serge Gnabry, Kompany said he now wants to “get things back to how they were before”.

Kompany added that Musiala will now train “individually” for the rest of the week before Bayern begin their Bundesliga title defence against Stuttgart.

Following his collapse on Tuesday, Musiala posted a statement on Instagram where he said the seizures have become part of his everyday life.

Absence seizures are a type of generalised seizure that commonly affect children and young adults.

There are two types of absence seizures: typical and atypical.

Dr Meneka Sidhu, a consultant neurologist at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in London, said typical absence seizures usually last seconds and the person affected may appear to be daydreaming or looking blank.

In an absence seizure, a person has varying degrees of loss of awareness and can result in the person affected losing balance and being unresponsive during the seizure itself.

“It can be very short-lasting, and the person can continue like nothing happened,” she said. “With atypical absences that last longer, people may have automatic movements like fidgeting with their hands, eyelid fluttering and lip smacking. Some people may fall.”

Repeated episodes of an absence seizure over more than 24 hours can be an indication of epilepsy, although the seizures can be treated with medication.

“For anybody affected by epilepsy, it is important to try to identify triggers,” added Dr Sidhu. “For people who play sport, triggers may include hyperventilation and dehydration.

“When effectively treated, there is no reason absence seizures should stop anyone playing sport.”

Musiala’s condition is one that has been managed by other elite athletes.

Rugby player Tommy Freeman started having absence seizures as a 14-year-old and, after later being diagnosed with epilepsy, he now manages the condition by taking tablets alongside playing for Northampton and England.

Spurs agree £75m deal to sign Man City's Savinho

Savinho joined Manchester City from French club Troyes in 2024

Tottenham have agreed a deal with Manchester City to sign winger Savinho for £75m, with a further £10m in potential add-ons.

Savinho, 22, will now have a medical before signing a long-term deal with Spurs.

The Brazilian’s move to north London has been more than 12 months in the making, with Spurs failing in a bid to sign him last summer.

Savinho opted to remain at Etihad Stadium, but his game time was limited under Pep Guardiola last term when he made just seven Premier League starts.

Having spent a combined £185m on midfielders Mateus Fernandes from West Ham and Sandro Tonali from Newcastle, Tottenham head coach Roberto de Zerbi is looking to strengthen his side’s attack.

But Spurs are unlikely to end their spending here, with sources telling BBC Sport talks for Savinho’s City team-mate Omar Marmoush are progressing positively.

The Egypt forward, a £59m signing from Eintracht Frankfurt in 2025, fell down the pecking order at City last season.

Spurs also remain interested in Liverpool forward Cody Gakpo, but it is unclear whether they could finance a deal for the Netherlands attacker as well as moves for Marmoush and Savinho.

Savinho’s arrival will push Spurs’ spending this summer past £300m, although they have recouped about £140m through the sales of Cristian Romero, Djed Spence and Luka Vuskovic.

Tottenham kick off their Premier League campaign at Brentford on Saturday (17:30 BST), while City host Bournemouth on Sunday (14:00 BST).

Savinho’s output at Manchester City makes Tottenham’s decision to invest heavily in him look curious at first glance.

The Brazilian, who last October signed a contract extension to 2031 at City, has made 84 appearances for the club, scoring seven goals and providing 13 assists.

In the Premier League, the winger has scored just twice over his two seasons at the Etihad.

But those numbers tell only part of the story of a player who joined City from sister club Troyes for £30.8m in 2024.

Savinho’s reputation was built during a breakout 2023-24 campaign with Girona, where he was on loan from Troyes, when he became one of La Liga’s most dangerous ball carriers.

He featured in 37 league matches as Girona secured Champions League qualification for the first time, registering nine goals and eight assists across his various attacking roles.

Savinho also led La Liga for: Successful take-ons (104), Progressive carries (181), Goal-creating actions (25), Expected assists (9.9). He also ranked second for passes into the penalty area and progressive carrying distance.

Most of his best work came from the left. Girona used him there in 27 matches, during which he scored five goals and supplied six assists, although he also featured centrally and from the right.

That versatility and directness could suit De Zerbi’s approach. His teams often try to draw opponents forward in possession before exploiting the space that opens up, creating one-against-one situations for wide players.

Savinho’s acceleration and willingness to take defenders on make him well suited to those moments. From the left he can hold the width and attack the outside, while from the right he can move inside on to his stronger left foot and combine with team-mates.

His value is not limited to goals.

At Girona, much of his threat came from carrying the ball over distance and disrupting defensive shape, which could give Spurs a more direct route through compact defences and create openings for central forwards.

That side of his game was less visible at City, where competition for attacking places was intense and players such as Phil Foden and Rayan Cherki were better suited to central roles.

Tottenham are therefore investing in the qualities Savinho showed so clearly at Girona: pace, ball carrying, one-against-one ability and chance creation from wide areas. At 22, those attributes help explain why Spurs are prepared to pay a huge sum despite his modest scoring return in Manchester.