Unai Emery remains confident about Aston Villa’s future despite a major summer overhaul as his side prepare to face Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Super Cup on Wednesday.
Villa have lost several important players since last season. Chelsea paid £117 million for Morgan Rogers, while Youri Tielemans moved on for £35 million. Lucas Digne also returned to PSG after establishing himself as Villa’s first-choice left-back.
Three members of Emery’s coaching staff have also left the club. Ezri Konsa could yet attract further interest, while Ollie Watkins and Emiliano Martínez remain on holiday after the World Cup.
Yet Emery insists Villa have enough stability to move forward.
The Spaniard pointed to captain John McGinn and the club’s steady progress since he took charge.
“You ask about the changes of coaches and players, but McGinn is intelligent and his answer was fantastic,” Emery said on Tuesday.
“When he arrived here they were in the Championship and every year since there have been changes and still the club has moved forward.”
McGinn believes Villa can maintain their ambitions despite the departures.
“What we still have is our main core, same manager, same methods, same desire to achieve more,” he said.
“A lot of people thought we had reached our ceiling a couple of seasons ago, and we proved them wrong. We have still got the same hunger and desire to go and achieve more.”
McGinn also welcomed the chance to build a new-look squad.
“I’m really excited by the sort of ‘new Aston Villa’,” he said.
Emery sees the club’s recent success as a source of greater strength. Villa have improved their financial position through strong results and player sales while continuing to invest in the club.
“The Premier League is the best league in the world and Aston Villa can now have better brands in the way we are,” Emery said.
He also highlighted plans to expand Villa Park to 50,000 seats and praised the club’s commitment to matching his ambitions.
Emery knows PSG well after spending two years as their manager. He now faces his former club with Villa in a major European test.
Villa have already beaten PSG at home in the Champions League. They won the second leg of their quarter-final 3-2 at Villa Park last season, although PSG progressed to the next round.
Now the two clubs meet again, this time with the UEFA Super Cup at stake.
Around 6,000 Villa supporters have travelled to Salzburg for the match. Emery wants them to see a team that keeps pushing despite the changes.
“I am feeling comfortable, happy, very demanding, even more than the last years,” Emery said.
“We want more. We are not stopping here.”
