Unai Emery Denies Friendship with Chelsea Amid Busy Transfer Window

Unai Emery, the manager of Aston Villa, has firmly denied any suggestion that his club has a friendly relationship with Chelsea. This comes despite a hectic summer transfer period involving big moves between the two teams, including names like Morgan Rogers, Emiliano Martinez, Nicolas Jackson, and Alejandro Garnacho.

Transfer Activity Between Villa and Chelsea

The two clubs have exchanged players frequently in recent seasons. This summer alone saw Emiliano Martinez move to Stamford Bridge for £7.5 million, following Morgan Rogers' significant £117 million transfer. In return, Villa spent a club-record fee of up to £65 million to sign Nicolas Jackson, while Alejandro Garnacho joined on loan with an option to buy.

• Total paid by Chelsea to Villa since 2022: £163.5 million
• Total paid by Villa to Chelsea since 2022: £102.5 million
• Possible increase if Garnacho's deal becomes permanent: £150.5 million

The volume and value of these transfers have drawn attention from other Premier League clubs, though no financial wrongdoing has been suggested.

Emery's Take on the Relationship

Despite constant dealings, Emery made it clear there is no camaraderie between the clubs. He described their connection as purely transactional, driven by money and player exchanges. He said, "Good relations? The relationship is only through the deals – for money, for other players. They want to kill us. And we want to kill them… it is not a good relationship. Of course, because we have good players and we can as well sign players from them, but it’s not a good relationship, it’s a deal for money and a deal for players."

Emery highlighted Chelsea’s signing of personnel, including set-piece coach Austin MacPhee, as tactics aimed at weakening Villa. He added, "They are signing Morgan, they are signing Emiliano Martinez to kill us. I am happy for Emiliano Martinez, I am happy for Morgan Rogers and, of course, I know I am not happy for Chelsea."

Villa's Summer Changes and Upcoming Challenges

This summer, Villa saw key players leave, such as Emiliano Martinez and striker Ollie Watkins, who moved to Al-Hilal. Six regular starters from the team that won May's Europa League final have departed. Emery admitted the task of rebuilding is tough but necessary. New signings like Leon Goretzka and Zion Suzuki are part of this process. He stated, "I know we must rebuild the team. We will need time. But we must compete on Monday. We needed to compete last Sunday in Brighton but we didn’t compete. We are working every day as fast as possible to be ready, everybody."

Arsenal Test Ahead

Aston Villa face reigning champions Arsenal soon, aiming to bounce back after a heavy 4-0 loss to Brighton. Emery may give debuts to new signings Jackson, Goretzka, and Suzuki as he rushes to strengthen his squad.

He praised Arsenal and their manager Mikel Arteta, saying, "Arsenal are the favourites. Looking at the team with Arteta there seven years in a row, they are getting better and better and are investing more and more. They are getting bigger and bigger as a club with the players they can sign. Arteta is doing a fantastic job. Arsenal are the favourites to win the Premier League and to win the Champions League. I like watching them a lot."

• Next fixture: Aston Villa vs Arsenal, 31 Aug 2026, 21:00
• Upcoming matches: Arsenal vs Chelsea, 6 Sept 2026, 17:30