Aston Villa opened the Premier League season without Ollie Watkins and Emi Martinez, leaving both out of the squad for the match against Brighton. It was a selection that said as much about the transfer window as it did about the team sheet.
The reason people are searching Brighton Vs Aston Villa now is simple: two of Villa’s most talked-about players were missing on the day the league began. Watkins is being heavily linked with a move to Saudi Arabia, while Martinez’s absence was tied to a lack of match fitness after his recent return from a World Cup break. Marco Bizot started in goal and Zion Suzuki, Villa’s £30m signing from Parma, was on the bench.
Unai Emery tried to draw a line between what he wants and what may still happen. He said he wants to keep Watkins, but also made clear that bids have already arrived. “We have an issue with him, it's clear. He is our player. We have had offers for him,” Emery said. He added that he did not want to sell the striker, though he left open the possibility of a move if the right deal came for the player, the club and the team. That is the reality Villa are living with now: Watkins is still theirs, but not necessarily for long.
Martinez’s situation is different, but it adds to the same sense of uncertainty. Emery said the goalkeeper was unavailable because he is not yet at full fitness, even though Villa also spent the summer preparing for change around him. Martinez had been close to joining Juventus before the move fell apart over a fee, and Emery has said the Argentina goalkeeper transmitted the possibility of another challenge in his career. Villa signed Suzuki not for the future but for now, a move that looks more important after Martinez missed the opener.
There are about 10 days left in the transfer window, and that is the number that now hangs over Villa more than the result itself. Watkins could still stay, but Emery has already admitted the situation can change if the right offer lands. Martinez should be available once his fitness improves, yet Villa’s decision to sign cover suggests they are not waiting comfortably for that to happen. Brighton was the first match of the season, but for Villa the more decisive question is whether this squad looks the same by the time the window closes.
