Unai Emery’s once-praised revolution at Aston Villa is coming under intense scrutiny as the club stumbles through the early stages of the 2025/26 season. With no goals scored in the Premier League and a Carabao Cup exit already behind them, questions are being raised over the effectiveness of Villa’s recruitment strategy—and Emery’s role in it. After nearly €400 million spent on new signings, critics, including former Villa striker Stan Collymore, are beginning to wonder whether Emery’s transfer record is holding the club back.
A Stagnant Start to the Season
Aston Villa’s start to the new campaign has been alarmingly poor. Despite a promising performance in the Carabao Cup against Brentford, they crashed out on penalties, marking yet another disappointing result. In the Premier League, Villa remain goalless after four matches, with two draws (against Newcastle and Everton) and two losses (to Brentford and Crystal Palace) compounding their slow start.
This run of form comes after a summer severely restricted by the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR), which limited Villa’s ability to reinforce the squad effectively. The lack of impactful reinforcements has become a glaring issue as the club struggles to find rhythm or results.
Stan Collymore Slams Recruitment Strategy
Former Villa striker and outspoken pundit Stan Collymore has not held back in his criticism of the club’s recruitment under Emery. In a series of comments on X (formerly Twitter), Collymore suggested that “no more than three or four” of the 23 players signed during Emery’s tenure have been “resounding successes.”
He pointed to the likes of Donyell Malen and Ian Maatsen—acquired for a combined €60 million—as examples of underwhelming returns on major investments. “Neither have been that A1 player needed in their position,” Collymore said, lamenting the decision to offload more effective players to make room for these additions.
Collymore also expressed concern that financial constraints and poor squad planning could lead to key players departing and warned that Emery himself may be tempted by offers elsewhere if results don’t improve soon.
The Few Success Stories
Despite the overall negative tone, a few signings have managed to stand out. Morgan Rogers, brought in for €9.4 million, and free-agent addition Youri Tielemans have impressed and are widely seen as genuine success stories. Jhon Duran has shown promise, while loan spells from Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio yielded positive contributions during their time at the club.
However, these bright spots are few and far between in a transfer record that spans nearly €400 million in spending. When excluding the seven recent summer signings, Emery’s hit rate appears worryingly low.
Summer Signings Yet to Impress
This summer saw seven new faces arrive at Villa Park: Harvey Elliott, Evann Guessand, Victor Lindelof, Jadon Sancho, Marco Bizot, Yasin Ozcan, and Zepiqueno Redmond. While it’s too early to fully judge this batch, none have made an immediate impact capable of changing the club’s fortunes. And with patience running thin, they may not get long to prove their worth.
Ranking Emery’s Transfers: Hits and Misses
Excluding this summer’s additions, here’s how Emery’s 23 signings stack up based on performance and value:
- Morgan Rogers (€9.4m)
- Youri Tielemans (free)
- Jhon Duran (€29.5m)
- Marcus Rashford (loan)
- Marco Asensio (loan)
- Pau Torres (€33m)
- Amadou Onana (€59.35m)
- Moussa Diaby (€55m)
- Kosta Nedeljkovic (€7.6m)
- Alex Moreno (€13.5m)
- Andres Garcia (€7m)
- Enzo Barrenechea (€8m)
- Donyell Malen (€25m)
- Ross Barkley (€5.9m)
- Axel Disasi (loan)
- Ian Maatsen (€44.5m)
- Clement Lenglet (loan)
- Nicolo Zaniolo (loan)
- Joe Gauci (€1.5m)
- Jaden Philogene (€16m)
- Samuel Iling-Junior (€14m)
- Lewis Dobbin (€11.8m)
- Cameron Archer (€16.65m)
The club has spent an eye-watering €399.2 million across these 23 signings—averaging around €19 million per player—yet very few have delivered consistent value.
Financial Constraints and a Long Road Ahead
Villa’s current issues extend beyond form and tactics. Their ability to spend in future windows is hindered by PSR compliance concerns, meaning significant squad improvements may not be possible for the next three or four transfer windows.
Collymore summarized the situation bluntly: “Easy to blame PSR but overspending on wages and fees, along with average recruitment—that’s created this mess.” The challenge for Emery now is to prove his mettle not just as a tactician, but as a motivator capable of getting more from a squad many now see as undercooked.
Unai Emery’s Aston Villa revolution is at a crossroads. After a period of promise and overachievement, the spotlight is now firmly on his recruitment decisions. Unless performances and results improve quickly, the pressure will only grow—not just on the players, but on the man who brought them in.
