Aston Villa's summer plans are still being shaped by the UEFA settlement agreement that followed last year's breach of financial fair play rules, even after Champions League qualification. The club cannot simply treat the extra European revenue as a blank cheque, and the next few weeks are likely to be built around sales as much as signings.
Kieran Maguire said Villa's return to the Champions League will open the purse a fair amount, but not enough to remove the limits they are living under in 2025-26. He added there is a fair chance that constraint rolls over into next season, which is why the club's recruitment work now has to fit around departures as well as arrivals.
That is already shaping the shopping list. Emery wants two wide players, a striker and a right-sided defender, but every name on the list comes with a price and the club has to decide what can be funded first. Tammy Abraham's long-term future is uncertain after his January arrival, Harvey Barnes has 16 Premier League goals this season at 28 years old, and Villa were reportedly very close to completing a deal for Ibrahim Mbaye.
There is also movement around the edges of the squad. Leon Bailey is available for sale after arriving from Bayer Leverkusen in 2021 for £25m, while Evann Guessand's situation points toward a permanent Crystal Palace purchase for about £28m. Those deals matter because Villa still have to balance the books before they can push on with fresh recruitment under UEFA's settlement rules.
The biggest friction point may be Morgan Rogers. He has multiple high-profile suitors, including Arsenal, Manchester United and PSG, but he is not pushing for a move, and Villa want at least £100m for him. Reports from Italy say Juventus and Emi Martinez's agent have held talks, yet Villa have still not received a formal approach for the goalkeeper, even though Juventus have offered €5m toward a €15m asking price.
For now, Rogers is the clearest test of how far Villa can stretch the summer. No significant movement is expected until after the World Cup concludes in mid-July, which leaves the club trying to line up arrivals without knowing whether one of its most valuable players will still be there when the window really opens up.
