Aston Villa's head of football operations to be axed as key Unai Emery ally loses job after club's worst start to season in 28 YEARS

Aston Villa's troubled start to the season is set to see the exit of transfer chief Monchi.

Hired two years ago as the club’s ‘president of football operations’, Monchi – full name Ramon Rodriguez Verdejo – has been a key ally of boss Unai Emery as Villa qualified for the Champions League in 2024 and then reached the quarter-finals of the competition last season.

Yet during Monchi’s tenure, Villa’s record in the market is mixed. They have sold well, banking about £130million for Jhon Duran, Jacob Ramsey and Jaden Philogene. But they have spent heavily on players like Amadou Onana, Ian Maatsen and Donyell Malen, none of whom have established themselves as first-team regulars. 

This summer, Villa were hamstrung by UEFA spending rules that meant they were able to make only two permanent signings – Evann Guessand, Marco Bizot and free agent Victor Lindelof – at a cost of about £30m.

The wage bill has also grown significantly, though Villa also inherited other well-paid players Emery did not rate highly, such as Philippe Coutinho, Leander Dendoncker and Diego Carlos.

Monchi, 57, returns to Spain regularly when Villa’s schedule allows and his reputation remains strong in La Liga thanks to his two spells as sporting director at Sevilla, which brought 10 major trophies.

Emery’s side will seek their first win in any competition this season when they take on Bologna in the Europa League on Thursday.