Aston Villa Q&A - YOUR questions answered: Will they sell Ollie Watkins in the next 12 months? Or Emi Martinez? Will Roberto Olabe be able to direct Unai Emery? And what's holding back Harvey Elliott and Jadon Sancho?

It's all looking a lot healthier in this international break for Aston Villa.

Having entered the September window with no goals, no wins and not much joy, they have turned it around since, going unbeaten in the league and having won their last four matches in all competitions.

They're up from 19th to 13th, and that's the kind of positive trajectory they will need to continue if they are to meet this season's expectations. A brutal run of fixtures greets them when this break ends, with trips to Tottenham and Liverpool each side of hosting Manchester City, however.

We put out the call for your questions on all things Villa, and here our expert TOM COLLOMOSSE tells you everything you need to know...

How much input will Roberto Olabe have into the group of players already there? Will he assess the players we already have, or take instruction from Emery, for example ‘I want him’, ‘Can you sell him’? – Alex Berwick

Very much the latter, Alex. The entire Aston Villa project stands or falls on one man – Unai Emery.

Olabe is one of Emery’s closest allies in football but he will not last long at Villa if he turns up and starts disagreeing with the main man.

‘President of football operations’ sounds a grand title but – as Monchi discovered – the person who holds it is expected to deliver what Emery wants in the transfer market. They are not there to set a broader strategy that remains in place regardless of the manager.

Had Villa wanted to implement that, co-owner Nassef Sawiris would have made an ‘independent’ appointment, rather than another Emery recommendation.

Is Emery still the man calling the shots on transfers? Are they specifically his signings? – Regan

Yes he is and it will always be the case while he’s there. The reason Villa were able to hire Emery three years ago, when they were struggling towards the bottom of the table, was because they offered him full control and his power has only grown since. 

That said, I don’t think Jadon Sancho and Harvey Elliott were ever top of his list. While it would be unfair to call them panic signings, I doubt Emery would have gone for them under calmer circumstances.

As it was, the deadline was hours away and Villa had no major outfield signings to speak of, so the feeling was it was better to sign some players that nobody at all.

Why does Emery continue to stick with players like Lucas Digne when players in their position like Ian Maatsen are playing better? – G Foster

Digne has had an amazing career arc under Emery. When Emery arrived, he didn’t fancy the Frenchman at all and quickly signed Alex Moreno to play at left back.

They paid nearly £40million for Maatsen in summer 2024 as his long-term replacement and would have sold Digne that summer.

Yet here Digne is, back in the France squad and with a new contract under his arm, albeit on reduced terms. Now Digne is one of the examples Emery uses when trying to educate other players about how to train, how to prepare and how to play.

It proves that Emery will never write off a player completely, even if he doesn't think much of him at first. Perhaps Donyell Malen will be next to follow Digne’s path.

Is there a possibility that Villa will sell Ollie Watkins and look for a new striker this winter or next summer? – Astella

I don’t think Watkins will be sold this season. Either he returns to top form, in which case Villa would be silly to let him go in the middle of a campaign, or he loses his place in the starting XI, which would make it very difficult for Villa to attract a good enough bid.

History suggests we should have faith in Watkins, who may miss this weekend’s trip to Tottenham with the injury he sustained on England duty. The 29-year-old is a proven goalscorer in the top flight and is the kind of player who will go on a prolific run of scoring.

Emery’s new approach might help, too. With someone like Malen operating closer to Watkins, Villa’s No 11 need not feel isolated any longer.

Any early names being thrown about for a potential Watkins replacement next summer? – Harry

It all depends on where Villa sit next summer, Harry.

If they win the Europa League to book a spot in the Champions League, we can expect them to be relatively ambitious. If not, however, they’ll be restricted, and any money they spend on a new forward will have to come from sales.

Of the current squad, Morgan Rogers and Boubacar Kamara have the ability to generate significant profit, although keep an eye on Lamare Bogarde.

I’m not suggesting the young Dutchman will be sold this summer but he is making rapid strides and like every club, Villa have to look at the bottom line, and Bogarde will deliver pure profit whenever he is sold.

What's the contract position looking like for Youri Tielemans? – Rich

Last season’s player of the year was high on the priority list in terms of new contracts. Indeed, as early as last spring, Villa wanted to focus on new deals for existing players, rather than on signing new ones.

Much of this summer was dictated by circumstances, as they struggled to comply with Premier League and European spending rules.

But Tielemans remains a key cog in Emery’s machine and I would expect talks to accelerate once he returns from injury. The Belgian has suffered a setback in his recovery from a calf injury and may not be available until after the November international break.

And I want more Dibu Martinez news. Thank you – Astella

OK then: I expect this to be Emi Martinez’s last season at Villa.

It’s no secret that he wants a new challenge and he spent much of the summer hoping he would leave, ideally to join Atletico Madrid or Manchester United. At that time, Martinez had little interest in moving to the Saudi Pro League.

But he already has a World Cup winner’s medal to his name and if he performed strongly again next summer, it is easy to imagine Martinez earning a move either to a Champions League club or opening the door to Saudi Arabia this time.

Either way, we are now in the endgame. It’s just a case of how long that lasts.

Will Sancho and Elliott establish themselves as starters? – Emma

It’s hard to see how they do so at this stage, Emma, even though there is long way to go in the season.

Neither was Emery’s first choice and so unless they start pulling up trees in training, the only way I see for them to become first-team regulars is if there are injuries and they take their chance.

Elliott is a good player but I can imagine Emery using him as a No 10, and when he has played with one, it has usually been Emi Buendia.

As for Sancho, he has looked reasonable in his few outings but illness stopped him training with the group for a period before the international break. Villa expect to reintegrate him now.

Hi Tom, do you think the Villa will have much leeway either in January or the summer to strengthen even in a scenario with no major sales? – Donald Corleone

Great name, first of all – whether it’s real or not!

As to your question, unfortunately I believe the answer to be ‘no’. Villa’s main issue is now with UEFA’s spending rules and that cannot be solved by selling Jacob Ramsey alone. Unless Villa’s position shifts somehow, I would expect a quiet January and then sales next summer to fund a squad refresh.

Any updates on the potential new Rogers contract? – Harry

He remains in talks over a possible new deal, as we reported at Daily Mail Sport during the summer.

Though Rogers had a rough start to the season at club level, he’s now cemented his place in Thomas Tuchel’s starting XI with England – a remarkable achievement for a player who wasn’t even an automatic choice for Middlesbrough in the Championship less than two years ago.

There were signs before this international break that Rogers was regaining confidence in a Villa shirt, too. The contract talks reflect his progress across the length of his Villa career, which has been a huge success up to now.