Aston Villa President of Football Operations Monchi Expected to Leave After Poor Premier League Start

Aston Villa is undergoing a significant change in its football operations with the departure of Monchi, the president of football operations, after two years at the club. Monchi, credited with helping Villa qualify for the Champions League and reach the quarter-finals, struggled recently due to financial restrictions imposed by Premier League and UEFA regulations, which limited squad strengthening and led to selling key academy players like Jacob Ramsey. The club's poor start to the 2025 season, including no wins in the first five Premier League matches, coincides with this leadership change. Villa is swiftly moving to appoint a successor, with Roberto Olabe, former sporting director of Real Sociedad, emerging as the leading candidate due to his experience in player recruitment and development. Olabe, who has worked with manager Unai Emery previously and has a strong track record in La Liga and South American football, is expected to bring stability to Villa's sporting strategy. Monchi's exit, reportedly for personal reasons and a return to Spain, marks the end of a turbulent period marked by mixed transfer results and strict financial controls.