Aston Villa manager Unai Emery has declared that his club and Chelsea are 'enemies' rather than friends, despite a recent history of player transfers between the two Premier League sides. Emery stated that the clubs want to "kill" each other, with relationships driven by financial deals and player movements.
Emiliano Martínez recently became the latest player to switch clubs, moving from Villa to Chelsea for £7.5m. This follows Chelsea's £117m acquisition of Morgan Rogers from Villa earlier this summer, a record fee for a British player. Conversely, Nicolas Jackson, in a deal potentially worth up to £65m, and Alejandro Garnacho, on a loan with a conditional obligation to buy, both joined Villa from Chelsea in the current transfer window.
Emery dismissed the idea of good relations, stating: "The relationship is only through the deals – for money, for other players." He added, "They are signing Morgan, they are signing Emiliano Martínez to kill us … I am happy for Emiliano Martínez, I am happy for Morgan Rogers and, of course, I know I am not happy for Chelsea."
Villa are set to host Arsenal on Monday, with Emery potentially handing debuts to Jackson, Leon Goretzka, and Zion Suzuki. Emery also expressed his anticipation for the transfer window to close on Tuesday, acknowledging that offers for key players, including the exits of Martínez and Ollie Watkins, have complicated Villa's pre-season preparations.