Unai Emery rejects friendly status between Aston Villa and Chelsea
The Guardian Sport • 1 min read • Latest: Aug 31, 2026, 1:00 AM
Last updated Aug 31, 2026
Unai Emery insists that Aston Villa and Chelsea remain direct sporting rivals despite the high volume of transfer activity between the two clubs. The manager rejected the notion of a friendly relationship, stating the teams intend to defeat one another on the pitch. This transfer window saw significant movement, including Chelsea signing Morgan Rogers for £117m and Emiliano Martínez moving between the clubs. Additionally, Nicolas Jackson joined Villa in a deal worth up to £65m, alongside Alejandro Garnacho who arrived on loan with a conditional obligation to buy. Despite these recurring business dealings, Emery emphasized that the professional competitiveness remains intact. Villa now turns its attention to upcoming fixtures, with Goretzka and Suzuki potentially making their debuts against Arsenal.
- •Unai Emery denies any softening of the rivalry between Aston Villa and Chelsea.
- •Morgan Rogers moved to Chelsea for a reported £117m fee.
- •Nicolas Jackson and Alejandro Garnacho joined Villa during the current transfer window.
- •Goretzka and Suzuki are in contention to make their Villa debuts against Arsenal.
- 1:00 AMThe Guardian Sport — Aston Villa and Chelsea still enemies despite transfer pipeline, insists Emery
"Martínez and Jackson latest duo to move between clubs Goretzka and Suzuki could make debuts against Arsenal Unai Emery has said Aston Villa and Chelsea are enemies rather than friends, insisting the clubs want to “kill” each other despite regularly doing business in recent years. Emiliano Martínez became the latest player to move between the teams, after Chelsea paid £117m to sign Morgan Rogers from Villa this summer. Nicolas Jackson, who could become Villa’s record signing after joining in a deal worth up to £65m, and Alejandro Garnacho both joined Villa from Chelsea in this window, the latter on a loan deal with a conditional obligation to buy. Continue reading...
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