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.
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“I am very excited to join Aston Villa, a great project which is striving for excellence from the Under-9s to the top level, and I completely share the vision of (co-chairmen) Mr. Sawiris and Mr. Edens,” Monchi said, upon agreeing to join the club.
“I am also delighted and can’t wait to work with Unai Emery again, one of the best managers in football. After enjoying so many years with Sevilla and winning several European trophies with my life-long club, I look forward to building on the recent successes at Aston Villa and ensuring this colossal club continues to grow and improve.”
Monchi’s arrival in England is the latest warning to Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur that the likes of Villa and Brighton will not give up their European spots next season. Both sides have made early moves in the transfer market, with Villa signing Youri Tielemans and Brighton agreeing deals for Mahmoud Dahoud, Joao Pedro and James Milner.
Monchi's longevity at Sevilla has seen him unearth several great players such as, Dani Alves, Luis Fabiano, Ivan Rakitic and Jules Kounde, as well as helping to build the academy system that produced Sergio Ramos.
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