Aston Villa are clearly determined to keep competing for European football after finishing above Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea last season.
Under the stewardship of former Arsenal boss Unai Emery, Villa went from being relegation contenders in the early part of the campaign to a Europa Conference League spot. Victory over Brighton on the final day saw Emery’s side finish a point above Spurs and 17 points ahead of Chelsea, illustrating the West London club’s dismal season.
Emery looks to be intent on keeping Villa around the European picture and has been joined by a key man from his successful spell with Sevilla. Director of football Monchi helped the Spanish side win seven Europa League trophies across two stints and was once courted by Arsenal before Edu established his role back in 2019, but will now aim to help Emery build on his early success with VIlla.
