Ranked: Monchi’s best-ever Aston Villa signings
Aston Villa’s president of football operations, Monchi, is set to leave the club after a two year spell at the helm.
The 57-year-old joined the Midlands giants in June 2023 and worked closely with Unai Emery on player recruitment during his tenure.
Monchi has come under fire at Aston Villa in recent weeks, with a poor transfer window angering both players and supporters, but his exit still comes as a surprise to many.
The Spaniard oversaw five separate transfer windows, and upon his departure, Football Insider reflects on his top five signings.
5. Ian Maatsen (£37.5m – Chelsea)
Ian Maatsen joined Aston Villa from Chelsea back in the summer of 2024, and is one of a long list of players who have moved between the two clubs.
Last season, the 23-year-old started just 10 Premier League games for Villa, as he struggled to displace Lucas Digne from the starting lineup.
However, when he has featured, Maatsen has impressed and it would be no shock if he kicked on this term and really cemented his place in Emery’s side.
4. Marco Asensio (Loan – PSG)
A short-term loan signing may be a surprise inclusion in this list, but when you bring in four-time Champions League winner Marco Asensio, plaudits are deserved.
The former Real Madrid star fired Villa to the quarter finals of the aforementioned competition last season, scoring three goals across their last 16 tie against Club Brugge.
In the Premier League the Spaniard started just nine times, but managed three goals and an assist, in what was a short but very sweet spell at Villa Park.
Aston Villa explored a deal to bring Asensio back on a permanent basis this summer, but no agreement could be reached, and the 29-year-old completed a move to Fenerbahce instead.
3. Pau Torres (£31.5m – Villarreal)
Pau Torres was one of Monchi’s first signings during his opening transfer window at Aston Villa, and the centre back has proved to be a relative success.
After just over two seasons with the Midlands side, Torres has racked up 76 appearances, mainly filling in when one of Tyrone Mings or Ezri Konsa are injured.
The 28-year-old has been solid, but unimpressive whenever he has featured in the heart of the Villa defence, but he is someone who Emery trusts to perform if called upon.
2. Amadou Onana (£50m – Everton)
Amadou Onana joined Aston Villa from Everton in the summer of 2024, with the Toffees needing a big sale to avoid breaching profit and sustainability rules (PSR).
At a hefty £50million, the Belgian midfielder was expected to come in and be an instant success, and despite a couple of niggling injuries, he was a vital part of Emery’s side last season.
During his time at Villa, Onana has started the majority of games when fit, striking up a good partnership with Youri Tielemans.
1. Morgan Rogers (£8m – Middlesbrough)
Morgan Rogers made the move from Middlesbrough to Aston Villa during Monchi’s second transfer window at the club, and arguably is the only resounding success from the Spaniard’s tenure.
Over the last 18 months, the 23-year-old has flourished into a real talent at Villa Park, as well as breaking into the England set-up.
During the summer, Rogers was linked with the likes of Chelsea, Manchester City and Tottenham, with Villa demanding a fee of around £100m to make any transfer happen.
When the England international eventually does move on, the Midlands giants will make a huge profit on a player they signed for an initial fee of just £8m.