Gossip: Chelsea could offer Jackson in swap deal for Rogerspublished at 07:52 BST 29 July
07:52 BST 29 July
Aston Villa and England midfielder Morgan Rogers, 23, is a top target for Chelsea and the Blues are ready to offer England defender Tosin Adarabioyo, 27, and Senegal striker Nicolas Jackson, 24, as well as a fee to secure a deal. (Football Insider, external)
Meanwhile, Villa, Liverpool, Everton and Bournemouth are set to miss out on highly rated 20-year-old Frenchman Nathan Zeze, with the Nantes defender preferring a move to Saudi Pro League side Neom SC. (Sun, external)
Gossip: Villa join race for Calvert-Lewinpublished at 07:46 BST 28 July
07:46 BST 28 July
Aston Villa are set to rival AC Milan and Newcastle for England striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin, 28, who is a free agent after leaving Everton. (Sun), external
Aston Villa draw pre-season friendly in United Statespublished at 10:51 BST 27 July
10:51 BST 27 July
Image source, Getty Images
Aston Villa were held to a 2-2 draw by Eintracht Frankfurt in the opening match of their pre-season tour of the United states.
Unai Emery named a strong side with Ollie Watkins, Donyell Malen, Matty Cash, Lucas Digne, Youri Tielemans and Emi Buendia all making their first appearances of pre-season.
It was striker Watkins who put the Villans ahead in the 12th minute at the Lynn Family Stadium in Louisville, Kentucky, before Elye Wahi pulled the German side level shortly afterwards.
Morgan Rogers scored just minutes after coming on the pitch as a substitute when he converted from Malen's assist.
But, Eintracht Frankfurt's Eba Bekir pegged Villa back with a 25-yard strike eight minutes from full-time to secure the draw.
Emery's side will continue their preparations for the new season when they face MLS side St Louis in Minnesota at 01:30 BST on Thursday, 31 July.
'Key defensive fulcrum'published at 10:37 BST 25 July
10:37 BST 25 July
Jordan Butler BBC Sport Journalist
Image source, Getty Images
Boubacar Kamara's new contract is a huge boost to Aston Villa, who have otherwise been one of the quietest Premier League clubs in this summer's busy transfer market.
The midfielder had two years remaining on his previous deal and decided to further commit his future to Villa despite them narrowly missing out on a Champions League place last season.
Kamara, 25, joined on a free transfer in May 2022 after he was persuaded to leave Marseille by then-manager Steven Gerrard.
The France international suffered a season-ending knee injury in February 2024 and returned eight months later to establish himself as one of the first names on the teamsheet.
"Kamara is a very important player; he gives us a lot of balance," said Unai Emery last season. "Tactically, he is very intelligent. When he was injured, we lost that balance."
Aside from balance, they also lost a key defensive fulcrum. Villa conceded an average of 1.6 goals per Premier League game without Kamara in the side last season – with him, that number fell to 1.2.
'The deal of the summer' - fans on Kamara's new contractpublished at 10:01 BST 25 July
10:01 BST 25 July
Image source, Getty Images
We asked for your views on how important Boubacar Kamara is for Aston Villa and how you feel, as fans, about his contract extension.
Here are some of your comments:
Damien: Best deal of the summer. Getting Kamara on a free three years ago was incredible business. Securing him now is so important. We can build around him (if he stays fit) and if we can't match his ambitions in the next couple of years then at least we can demand a suitable fee for such a top player. Losing him might be less emotional than the likes of Emi Martinez, Ollie Watkins or Tyrone Mings, but Kamara is more important to our future than those three.
Craig: Don't think we'll have a better signing this window. He makes the team tick and was a massive loss while out with his ACL injury. After all the speculation of whether he would sign a new deal, this is a huge positive.
Frank: Great news. Such an underrated player, only truly appreciated by the Villa fans who see him week in, week out.
Matt: Kamara is an excellent player who provides solidity in midfield and unlocks Youri Tielemans to be a more effective attacking player. It is great to see him commit his future to the club.
Ian: Delighted that Kamara has committed long term to the Villa. A very key player for our progression, but I am concerned of lack of activity in the transfer window. We need cover at centre-back and we definitely need another striker to cover Watkins - Jack Grealish, for me, plus we need to keep the rest of the squad. I trust Unai Emery but was hoping any deals would have already been done. Let's hope there are some in the pipeline, keep the faith.
Cassie: Kamara has always been an unsung hero in midfield for Villa. He can read a game, shield the ball well and also can defend. We need to keep our best players.
Nathan: Fantastic news- a bedrock of our midfield here to stay is a great signing! Excellent at breaking opposition play and starting off attacks, and noticeably adding to his game the ability to arrive late at the edge of the box in attack. Boubacar is a top-class all-round midfielder to have around the camp. Well done to Villa for this solid piece of business.
Paul: Kamara signing a new contract is fantastic news. He is arguably the best defensive midfield player in the Premier League after Rodri and he joined on a free transfer. We got Tielemans on a free too. The two biggest bargains ever!
Villa lose friendly 3-1 to German third tier side Hansa Rostock published at 17:36 BST 19 July
17:36 BST 19 July
Aston Villa lost 3-1 to German third division side Hansa Rostock in their second pre-season friendly.
Jacob Ramsey put Villa ahead just before half-time at the Ostseestadion with a neat finish from the edge of the box but Hansa equalsied on the hour mark before two late goals took the game away from Unai Emery's side.
The loss follows Wednesday's defeat to League Two Walsall.
Gossip: Villa face competition for Luizpublished at 07:21 BST 18 July
07:21 BST 18 July
Aston Villa are considering bringing Brazil and Juventus midfielder Douglas Luiz back to the club, but Everton have submitted a bid for the 27-year-old and West Ham are also interested. (Teamtalk, external)
Villa beaten by Walsall as pre-season campaign gets under waypublished at 07:27 BST 17 July
07:27 BST 17 July
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Aston Villa lost 1-0 at League Two side Walsall in their first pre-season friendly on Wednesday.
Harrison Burke's close-range strike in the 38th minute proved to be the only goal of the game at Bescot Stadium.
It was a young Villa squad that travelled and 22 players were given minutes. Senior players who started included Pau Torres, Ross Barkley and Jacob Ramsey, while Tyrone Mings and Boubacar Kamara were among those who featured in the second half.
Meanwhile, former Villa winger Albert Adomah was playing for the Saddlers.
Unai Emery's men head to Germany to face Hansa Rostock on Saturday for their second of an eight-match pre-season campaign.
Here's what BBC Radio WM's Mike Taylor has to say on the futures of McGinn and Mings:
Could Aston Villa find another midfielder as capable with the ball as John McGinn, and another defender with the same strengths as Tyrone Mings, at an acceptable price-point? Quite possibly. Their recruitment structure, assembled and overseen by Unai Emery and Monchi, is strong and well-connected. They have the data, they have the contacts, they could find those players.
There is a lot of truth in football data, but not all of the truth. McGinn and Mings have many measurable qualities, but their most abundant feature is not on the spreadsheets. They are proven leaders, lifting - and occasionally dragging - the club upwards. The club, note, not just the team. Football may be more stats-dominated than ever before, but you can't count a feeling. McGinn and Mings bring personality, and leadership, connecting their team-mates to each other and to their supporters.
The time will come when those two veterans of the Championship promotion will not be worthy of their places in the Villa squad on their leadership skills alone. But it has not come yet. Their best features may be hard to count, but they'll be missed when they're gone.
Here's what BBC Radio WM's Mike Taylor has to say on the Grealish prospect:
The vibes for a Grealish return ought to be good. He was an instrumental figure in lifting the club back up a level, setting them on the path to their recent success. The story of a Grealish return is an enticing thought. As a personality, he would of course fit back in at Villa.
Whether he would fit in now as a player is a different, and trickier, question. The best of Grealish was always in those moments where the patterns of play were blurred, leaving room for a freehand artist to express himself. By some accounts, Grealish's fading from relevance at Manchester City is because the rigid structures have denied him that space.
Unai Emery's Villa have their structures, too. But at their best, there has always been room within them for pace, for tricks, for joy. A more mature, experienced Grealish might be able to fit his pictures within that more forgiving frame, if the deal is right.
