Transfer updates, backroom changes and players at the World Cup: Aston Villa news weekly digest
Everything that's fit to click in the world of Aston Villa
Aston Villa are in the calm after the storm.
Villa won the Europa League and qualified for the Champions League (twice) within the space of a few days in a frantic end to the 2025/26 season.
Still, we’ve all had a breather and it’s July now. Must be time for the first Aston Villa news weekly digest from Aston Villa Review.
Villa players at the World Cup
✈️ John McGinn, Victor Lindelöf and Evann Guessand have all been knocked out of the World Cup. McGinn scored Scotland’s only goal of the tournament in their opening Group C match against Haiti.
✅ Belgium were close to joining Scotland, Sweden and Ivory Coast on the plane home. They were 2-0 down against Senegal but captain Youri Tielemans headed in a late equaliser, then won and scored a terrific penalty after more than two hours of football. Amadou Onana was on the pitch for the winner.
✅ England are through to the round of 16 – just – and Ezri Konsa has been first choice at centre-back. Morgan Rogers played 125 minutes in the group stage but the only appearance for Ollie Watkins was as a late substitute against Panama.
✅ Lucas Digne helped France reach the last 16, though it might be argued Kylian Mbappé has had a say too.
⌛ Lionel Messi has made a modest contribution to the progress of Argentina. Goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez only conceded once in the group stage and will be in action again when Argentina play Cape Verde in the round of 32.
Villa transfer news
↔️ Villa are ‘in talks’ to sign former Tottenham Hotspur full-back Emerson Royal, now at Flamengo (The Athletic)
↔️ Villa also want Jarrod Bowen from West Ham United. Who doesn’t? (The Athletic)
↔️ ‘Toulouse goalkeeper Guillaume Restes is emerging as a serious option’ if Villa need to sign a new number one (The Athletic)
↔️ Villa ‘could potentially meet Newcastle’s asking price’ for striker Nick Woltemade (AS)
↔️ Feyenoord winger Anis Hadj Moussa is a target for both Villa and Newcastle (Sky Sport France)
↔️ Ilaix Moriba of Celta Vigo is another player of interest to Villa (BirminghamLive)
✍🏻 Aston Villa Women have signed Amalie Vangsgaard from Juventus and Kamilla Melgård from Madrid CFF (AVFC)
⚽ Mohamed Koné, Kadan Young and Zépiqueno Redmond are to be loaned to parent club Annecy (The Athletic)
👋🏻 Defender Sil Swinkels is off to Sheffield Wednesday (The Athletic)
Club updates
👮🏻 Aston Villa fined conditional €22.5m for breaching UEFA financial rules (The Athletic)
🔙 Boubacar Kamara ‘hopes to feature’ in pre-season (BirminghamLive)
⚽ Pako Ayesteran and Antonio Rodríguez Saravia have left Unai Emery’s backroom staff, with José María Sanz appointed as Villa’s new assistant coach (AVFC)
👩🏻⚖️ Villa will challenge FIFA at the Court of Arbitration for Sport over their inability to register striker Brian Madjo (BirminghamLive)
⚽ Friendlies against Indonesia All Stars and BG Pathum United have been added to Villa’s pre-season schedule (AVFC)
🏆 Villa have entered and been invited into this season’s EFL Trophy, where an Under-21 Villa team will play in Northern Section Group B against Blackpool, Wigan Athletic and Crewe Alexandra (EFL)
Everything else that’s fit to click
👕 ‘I designed football shirts for World Cup winners’ (BBC News)
🟥 Premier League to relax red cards for hair pulling (BBC Sport)
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