Monchi (as the former goalkeeper is usually known) is set to leave his role as Aston Villa president of football operations, according to multiple club sources. Monchi had come under growing scrutiny from supporters for the perceived lack of improvement within Villa’s squad.
Since joining the club in the summer of 2023 at the request
of manager Unai Emery, Monchi has been in charge of player recruitment.
However, as The Athletic explained last week, Emery has
the overarching say on signings, with Monchi’s remit being to facilitate the
former’s wishes.
Inescapably, though, Villa’s transfer strategy has come
under question. Nine of the starting XI that featured against Sunderland were
already Villa players before Emery’s arrival in October 2022, with a lack of
squad turnover contributing to the current stagnancy.
This is a monumental departure in Villa’s hierarchy, with
Monchi forming the triangle of power alongside Emery and director of football
operations, Damian Vidagany. The trio had been extremely close and were the
front-facing figures in Villa’s remarkable rise.
However, Monchi’s exit is a clear indication that Villa
acknowledge they need to improve recruitment and be intelligent with incomings,
having faced and breached UEFA sanctions previously and given their continual
run-in with the Premier League’s profitability and sustainability rules (PSR).
Is the problem or is he a scapegoat? Villa fans will have their own views.
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