Aston Villa 'hurt' by another major exit as five new signings flag concerns
Aston Villa are facing fresh concerns ahead of the new season after a turbulent transfer window, sources have told Football Insider.
Unai Emery's side will face Brighton to kick off their Premier League season on 23 August, but are heading into the game with growing concerns rather than a sense of optimism.
This comes after Ezri Konsa officially completed his move to Arsenal earlier this week, becoming the latest of a string of star players to leave Villa Park in the summer window.
As I revealed on the latest edition of Football Insider's Transfer Insider podcast, Konsa's departure has "hurt" Aston Villa, while there are concerns about their new signings.
Villa have spent around £150million on new players this summer, landing the likes of Johan Manzambi, Joao Gomez and Zion Suzuki in an attempt to replace their big sales.
However, with such a significant overhaul, there is a feeling the players will need time to adapt to the Premier League and Emery's style, which could hint at a slow start.
Why is Ezri Konsa's exit such a big blow for Aston Villa?
Former Aston Villa scout Mick Brown told Football Insider last month that Emery had no plans to sell Konsa and was very reluctant to lose another star player from his side.
Having now lost him, however, the boss has suffered another major dent to his plans despite having hoped to strengthen ahead of their return to Champions League football.
In the buildup to their Premier League opener, there are concerns that the number of changes in his squad could lead to new problems.
Speaking on the Transfer Insider podcast, I explained: "Losing the likes of Morgan Rogers, Tielemans, Lucas Digne and now Konsa, that would hurt any team because they are four key players.
"Then obviously they've brought in the likes of Johan Manzambi, Joao Gomez, Alejandro Garnacho on loan, Matteo Ruggeri, Zion Suzuki.
"But look, those players are going to take time to settle at their new club as well, it's not always as simple as players hitting the ground running when there have been such big changes.
"If you continue to lose your best players, it's only going to hurt you in the long run, and that's going to be a worry for Aston Villa going into the new season."
How does Unai Emery feel about Aston Villa's business?
Given the growing concerns at Aston Villa following major departures from their first-team squad, questions have been asked about Emery's future and his response to the departures.
Continued major sales have raised fresh concerns for the manager, who was reportedly already frustrated by Aston Villa's lack of activity in previous windows.
Football Insider revealed on 21 August that Emery now has "serious" concerns at Aston Villa and has been disappointed with how their business has been done.
Following last season's Europa League victory, Aston Villa are preparing to challenge in the Champions League, but a turbulent summer has dented their ambitions.
While Emery understands the club are struggling to deal with financial restraints, the continued sales of his best players has led to questions about his future.