Aston Villa

Mike Taylor
BBC Radio WM reporter

Of all the blizzard of statistics measuring Youri Tielemans' season for Aston Villa, this number particularly stands out.

In the most competitive area of a squad growing in depth around him, Tielemans started 52 of Villa's 57 competitive games, more than anyone else except Morgan Rogers.

Until a minor injury finally interrupted his season in May, Tielemans had started every game except the two Carabao Cup matches, for which Unai Emery made more radical team changes.

In arguably the deepest high-quality squad in the club's history, Tielemans was the go-to guy.

"He's our best player by a mile this season," said John McGinn in a TNT Sports interview last month.

"His first year was a bit stop-start, but he's a huge player for us and he's versatile - he can play as a 10, eight or six."

Tielemans' status at Villa has transformed over the past 18 months.

After his arrival, he spent the first third of the Premier League season as a substitute. Then, after finally working his way into the first XI - starting both of the statement wins over Manchester City and Arsenal in December 2023 – a calf injury set him back for a month.

But his status had been established, and once fit again, he was rarely left out.

"Last year was very important in how he adapted to us, and how he was understanding how we wanted to build with him," said Unai Emery in January.

"This year, he's playing consistently, again in different positions because he is a versatile player."

That word again: versatile. There is room for specialists in an Emery squad, but he has depended most heavily on players like Tielemans, McGinn and Rogers - footballing Swiss Army knives he can deploy in different roles as the situation demands.

Villa's two full seasons under Emery have run to 56 and 57 games and, given the Spaniard's record in Europe - and the Europa League in particular - they could easily match that total again in 2025-26.

The strength of Villa's squad comes not only from depth, but flexibility.

But Profit and Sustainability Rules are not flexible. Like last summer, at least one top-liner will surely have to go if Villa are to limbo under the PSR bar again.

Tielemans' arrival as a "free" - in transfer-fee terms - would make selling him a profitable prospect.

His record last season would command a significant fee. That same record, though, makes him perhaps the most difficult man in the squad to replace, and selling him the hardest to countenance.

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Alex Fletcher
BBC Sport journalist

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"I think he's one of the leaders on the field," Unai Emery said of Youri Tielemans in April, with the Aston Villa boss describing the Belgian as "very important" to how his side plays.

After struggling in his first season in the West Midlands, Tielemans had a point to prove in 2024-25.

And, although Villa missed out on Champions League football on the final day, the 28-year-old has made his presence felt in the heart of midfield over the past nine months.

But how has he done it?

Nothing illustrates the change in his role more than the amount of time he has spent on the pitch.

In his first season at Villa Park, he played just 1,620 minutes in the Premier League, waiting until November for his first Premier League start.

Last season - despite featuring in just four more games - Tielemans nearly doubled the amount, playing 3,032 minutes.

His versatility is a key asset, with Emery able to deploy him in several of the different central midfield positions and even occasionally on the left-hand side.

He even ended up as Villa's third top goalscorer despite scoring only three times, following the departure of Jhon Duran to Al-Nassr.

Nevertheless, his influence in the final third focuses more on his ability to break down the opposition, and he created more chances (61) than any other Aston Villa player this season.

That number put him ninth overall across all players in the Premier League and is a significant improvement on his first year at the club where he only created 18 opportunities.

Add to that his 2,517 touches - again highest for his team-mates - and it merely emphasises his impact.

At the other end of the pitch, Tielemans has been just as impressive.

Not only has he won possession the most times (145), but he also made the most tackles (84) across the entire season, with the latter number more than doubling his tally from the previous year.

With his dual ability to play high up the pitch, and to drop deep to win the ball back, it seems pretty clear Tielemans' improvement has made him one of Villa's most important players under Unai Emery.

If he were to leave this summer, it would be a damaging blow for hopes of a Champions League return next season.

Manchester United hold bragging rights as the most popular Premier League club across social platforms, according to CIES Football Observatory., external

Ranking third overall behind Real Madrid and Barcelona, Manchester United total 233.6 million subscribers and followers across X, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and YouTube.

Rivals Manchester City are second highest out of Premier League clubs and fifth overall with 179.5m, with Liverpool (166.7m) and Chelsea (152.9m) just behind.

Arsenal also make the global top 10 with 114.1m, meaning there are five English teams inside the top 10.

Spurs just miss out in 11th with 108.1m, but they did gain an extra 700,000 followers over their North London rivals since June 2024.

A total of 15 English clubs make the top 100, with Leeds United squeezing into the 100th spot with 6.4m.

While fans may not sing about social media followers, global interest has a hand in paying the bills at their beloved football clubs.

Nick Mashiter
BBC Sport football news reporter

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Defender Kaine Kesler-Hayden is likely to leave Aston Villa this summer after an impressive loan spell at Preston North End.

The 22-year-old is attracting interest from the Championship and abroad following a standout season at Deepdale.

He has come through Villa's academy - making four substitute appearances - and any cash will help the club comply with Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR).

Kesler-Hayden, an England Under-20 international, won Preston's young player of the season and player of the season awards.

The full-back made 51 appearances as North End finished 20th in the Championship.

He has previously spent time on loan at Swindon, MK Dons, Huddersfield and Plymouth.

Image source, Getty Images

Youri Tielemans supplied a goal and an assist as Belgium beat Wales 4-3 in a dramatic World Cup qualifier in Brussels on Monday.

The Aston Villa midfielder was captaining his country for the fifth time and played a vital role in their victory, with club colleague Amadou Onana alongside him.

With Belgium already a goal up, Tielemans finished off after neat play down the left-hand side to double lead after just 19 minutes.

Despite Belgium scoring again, Wales got one back before the break and managed to score twice after the restart to bring the game level.

However, with just two minutes remaining, it was Tielemans' perfect cross in to the far post that set up the winner for Manchester City legend Kevin de Bruyne.

The result marks Belgium's first victory in World Cup qualifying following a disappointing draw against North Macedonia in their opening game.

Now 28, Tielemans has racked up 77 appearances for his country.

Image source, Getty Images

We asked for your views on whether you think Aston Villa need to do any transfer business before the first of the two summer transfer windows shuts.

Here are some of your comments:

Prit: I would love Villa to do some work before deadline day, but I suspect/fear any movement will be dictated by PSR, given how we bottled the games against Manchester United and Crystal Palace.

Cassie: A new experienced striker with an eye for goal is badly needed. And also a playmaker who can sit in front of the back four and who can play the ball with precision. A new centre-half would also be an addition. With Thursday night football looming, we need a bigger squad.

Terry: I would like to see some movement in and out. But who to let go, and who to sign? With the PSR rules. I'd like to see Youssef En-Nesyri at Villa. He has been incredible under Unai Emery in the past.

Matt: Leon Bailey, Jacob Ramsey, Matty Cash, and Pau Torres sales would avoid us selling any key first-team players like Emi Martinez, Ollie Watkins, or Morgan Rogers. Then replace them after 30 June.

Andrew: I will be happy if we can keep our star players. I don't want us to rush buying players, as we need players who are better than our starting XI.

Jez: We still need more firepower out wide and probably a new right-back and goalkeeper. Links to Leroy Sane and Joao Pedro are exciting but seem ambitious. If we want to compete in the Champions League, we need two to three quality additions, not just potential. I'd have liked Marsco Asensio, but he's returned to PSG. Over to Monchi and Emery now - don't let this momentum slip!

Today is the first of two transfer deadline days this summer as the window shuts for seven days before reopening on 16 June.

In a change to the summer transfer window norm, it opened early to allow clubs involved in the Fifa Club World Cup 10 days to sign players for inclusion in the competition.

Whether it turns out to be a day of transfer action or a pretty quiet one for your club, you will be able to keep across it all on BBC Sport.

Follow our live text coverage throughout the day here

And keep up to date with all the latest news, views and transfers for your club

It is not just at the top of the Premier League where American ownership has a foothold in English football.

Twenty years on from the Glazer takeover of Manchester United, one third of the 72 EFL clubs now have either majority or minority US backers.

In a special episode of BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast, Kelly Cates is joined by a group of experts to investigate whether this trend is likely to continue.

Listen on BBC Sounds

On Tuesday, the first of two summer transfer windows will come to a close.

So, do you expect business to be done at Aston Villa before the deadline? Do you want players to come in or exit? If so, what or who do you think is needed?

Let us know

Arsenal have added Aston Villa attacking midfielder Morgan Rogers to their list of summer transfer targets. (Times - subscription required, external)

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Aston Villa have become the latest club to show an interest in signing England winger Jadon Sancho, 25, from Manchester United following his loan at Chelsea. (Teamtalk, external)

Want more transfer stories? Read Thursday's full gossip column

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Tyrone Mings has thanked Aston Villa fans for their "unwavering support" as the club confirmed the defender has signed a one-year contract extension.

The 32-year-old centre-back has made 180 appearances for the Villans since joining for £20m from Bournemouth in 2019.

"We've had quite the journey," said Mings. who returned from a long-term knee injury in January, on his time at Villa Park so far.

"My belief that we can achieve something extra special is stronger than ever.

"I thank the fans, the manager, the staff and the players for their unwavering support, both on and off the pitch, through one of the toughest periods of my career.

"I'm sure next season will be our best one yet."

Nicola Pearson
BBC Sport journalist

As the dust settles on the 2024-25 Premier League season, we have been taking a look at some of the alternative ways the the table could have finished...

"We never do it the easy way."

Something muttered by many a football fan as they watch their side go 1-0 down again.

As frustrating as it can be watching from the stands or on the TV, it is a position some teams thrive in.

Luring the opposition into a false sense of security, it is almost as though they do not get going until they have given the other team a chance.

And if the league was measured on how well a team bounces back after conceding the first goal, then this season would have seen Brighton coming away with a Premier League title.

There were 17 occasions in 2024-25 when the Seagulls conceded the first goal, but from those they came back to win five and draw five - rescuing 20 points in the process.

It will not have made for comfortable watching for the fans, but it does show the tenacity of Fabian Hurzeler's side to turn a match around.

The sign of champions is to win when you are not at your best and that is what Liverpool did this campaign. They may not have have conceded first as often as Brighton, but they still came back to win four times and draw seven.

It will not have always helped the cause of those chasing European spots, but Newcastle, Fulham and Aston Villa all showed the resilience that they could go one-goal down and still get much-needed points from a game.

At the other end of the scale, while some teams thrive in this situation, others flounder.

Nottingham Forest surprised many onlookers going from relegation candidates to battling for a Champions League spot in less than 12 months.

But key to that was their defence. There were not many occasions where they went 1-0 down - however, when they did, their ability to turn it around was in relegation territory.

The silver-lining for Reds fans, though, is that they really did make it difficult for the opposition to get in front and this is a strength they will hope to build on going forwards.

David Michael
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

A wind of change is about to blow through Aston Villa. With an Icarus-like attitude, they soared high in the Champions League, pushing the eventual winners close, only to now face the challenge of managing their descent.

Boubacar Kamara has been in contract talks since well before last Christmas. The fact nothing has been signed, despite ongoing reports, strongly suggests the player was waiting to see whether Villa would still be a Champions League team by season's end.

From the club's perspective, selling Kamara would be tempting from a PSR angle. Signed on a free transfer, any sale would register as pure profit in the accounts - useful for balancing the books.

While Villa's form clearly improves when Kamara is in the team, his availability has been patchy. Over three seasons, because of injuries, the midfielder has started only 54% of Villa's Premier League matches.

Despite qualifying for Europe for a third consecutive season, Villa find themselves in trouble when it comes to Uefa's Squad Cost Rule (SCR), which limits spending on players, coaches, transfers and agent fees to 80% of total revenue for the 2024-25 campaign.

Villa are believed to be operating at over 89%, and while a Uefa fine is expected, the limit will drop even further to 70% the following season and beyond.

This goes some way to explaining why Kamara, along with Leon Bailey and Emi Martinez - both of whom seemed to have emotional farewells at Villa Park - may not be at the club next season.

Villa will also be frustrated that last summer's main outlay - about £87m on Amadou Onana and Ian Maatsen - failed to secure continued Champions League football.

Onana started just 20 league games (53%), while Maatsen started only 10 (26%). Both improved the squad, but Villa still had other starting XI positions - like right-back - that needed upgrading.

With Uefa breathing down their necks, Villa will need to be much smarter with their spending this summer, especially after expected key player sales.

Find more from David Michael at My Old Man Said, external

BBC Sport pundit Nedum Onuoha has given us his insight and opinion every fortnight on your Premier League club throughout this season.

But this week, he's in the hotseat for your questions.

Maybe ask him who should be on your club's radar this summer, or where a rumoured target or new signing might fit into the team.

Perhaps see what he thinks about how successful a new recruit might be, who it is vital to keep, or what is needed to make next season a success.

Send in your questions here and we'll put a selection to him

Steve Sutcliffe
BBC Sport journalist

Having failed to qualify for the Champions League things look less rosy at Aston Villa.

The club made a loss of £206m in the two years to 30 June 2024 and, with the £100m departure of Jack Grealish in 2021 dropping away from their PSR figures, backing Unai Emery will be far from straightforward.

Last term's run to the quarter-finals of Europe's elite club competition, along with the sales Moussa Diaby, Douglas Luiz and Jhon Duran will undoubtedly have helped.

But the Midlands club has spent more than £900m since returning to the Premier League in 2019, exceeding Uefa's 70% revenue to wages ratio every season.

"Without any outgoings, it appears Villa will be at the bottom end of the £50-100m spending range," said football finance expert Kieran Maguire.

Read more about the early transfer window and what each Premier League club can spend this summer

Image source, Getty Images

We asked for your views on what Aston Villa need to do in the transfer window.

Here are some of your comments:

Matt: Keeping hold of our best players is the priority. Kamara, Tielemans, Rogers, and Konsa. Hopefully Watkins and Martinez too but I'd be less concerned with those two leaving. I'd like to see Bailey, Digne, Dendoncker, Coutinho and Cash all moved on. That should help with the wages-to-turnover issue.

Harry: We need to get some of the high earners who are not performing off the wage bill. I like Cash but I think he has now hit his ceiling so a new RB would be nice as well as a new right-sided CB and a young ST for competition up top.

Mike: Of the expiring loan deals, I'd only look at signing Asensio permanently. As good as Rashford has been since February, the sense that he's used Villa as a stepping stone on his way to Barcelona just won't go away. I don't think we've seen enough of Disasi to warrant a move.

Prit: Villa do need another striker to give Watkins competition. Obviously need a number-two goalkeeper as Olsen has gone, and possibly a replacement for Martinez if he departs. But more crucial is what will the impact of PSR be now that we have lost the Russian Roulette of gambling all to qualify for the Champions League.

Marc: Need a quality right-back and quality number 10. If we keep the rest of the team, we will be top six for sure.

Thank you for the feedback you submitted on the Premier League club pages.

Our aim is to contain all of the BBC's in-depth coverage of that team in one place, so it is helpful to hear from you - you are who the pages are for after all.

We are going through all your responses and will take suggestions on board for next season.

The transfer window opens on Sunday - albeit for 10 days initially, mainly so sides competing in the Club World Cup can get early business done - before reopening for the rest of the summer on 16 June.

There are a few loan deals that Aston Villa could make permanent, but are there any other players you are desperate for them to sign, or an area of the squad that needs improving? Or maybe holding on to a key player is your biggest priority.

And what about sales - who needs to go?

So over to you... what names need bringing in and shipping out?

Let us know here

Nicola Pearson
BBC Sport journalist

As the dust settles on the 2024-25 Premier League season, we have been taking a look at some of the alternative ways the the table could have finished...

A Premier League season can sometimes be a tale of two halves.

Some come flying out of the blocks, while others are more sluggish starters.

The busy Christmas period can be a turning point with the arrival of the January transfer window feeling like a fresh start.

So what might have happened if the league season only start on 1 January?

Well, Pep Guardiola's title-winning machines would have picked up their fifth Premier League trophy in a row.

Playing one game fewer than actual champions Liverpool - who secured the title with four games remaining - they would have finished one point clear of the Reds, not withstanding Arne Slot's side slowdown in form after sealing the title.

City always seem to come good after January, but this time it was not enough to outweigh the torrid time they had from late autumn.

The rest of the top six is not too dissimilar to the final placings, although in this case, Aston Villa would have secured Champions League football and Brighton a Europa League spot in the absence of Chelsea - whose form nose-dived at the very beginning of the year.

And while the new year is a new start for some, it is less so for others.

That was the case for many of those down the bottom of the league.

The relegated trio would still have been relegated and Manchester United and Tottenham would still have ended up in the bottom six. West Ham find themselves one place lower after Wolves picked up form under Vitor Pereira.

So what does this tell us? If you wan to achieve your Premier League ambitions, it is about making sure you are there for nine months and not just from January.

*Table data from Football365

Image source, Getty Images

We asked for your views on our fan contributor David Michael's end of season scorecard (27 May, 15:58 BST).

Here are some of your comments:

Tony: Absolutely agree with this assessment. We've played some brilliant football - home to Newcastle, for example - some of the best play I've seen in over 57 years at Villa Park. Yet we then don't turn up in crunch games, and I don't get it. Next season will be trepidation about possibly falling back from what we achieved over the past three seasons. Nervous!

Robert: I give this season a 7/10. While we can take Villa seriously as regular European contenders now, there's more work to do before we're regulars in the Champions League. Our season will be defined by the number of times we've had to get a result from a losing position, but it could've been different if we'd avoided individual defensive mistakes that led to goals conceded or, in the case of the last day, getting our goalkeeper sent off. Champions League regulars are strict on players who make mistakes at that level, and if Villa aspire to become one of them in years to come, that's the mentality we need to adopt.

Tim: My old chap watched Villa with my grandad through the 50s and 60s. He always said, even then, that Villa didn't score enough goals. It's the same this season, our goals-for column is too low. That said, we shipped a lot too. Liam Delap would be a good start at correcting that imbalance.

Prit: Season rating - 7/10. Could have easily been 9/10 but two pivotal games, against Crystal Palace and Manchester United, when the team froze and cost us dearly has lost a lot of goodwill. Our unsung hero has to be Boubacar Kamara. Midfield dynamo who can play across midfield, got us out of a lot of trouble by playing in the back four when we were desperate and is now scoring goals. Kamara is very much the glue that has held Villa together this season.

Russell: The season has been one of missed opportunities. Seeing Newcastle and Palace win trophies, something we haven't managed since 1996, makes me very envious. Missing out on the Champions League in the way we did also sticks in the craw. Overall 7/10.