Emery: Villa-Chelsea Relationship Is 'Deal for Money' — SkimNews
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- Unai Emery rejected suggestions of "good relations" with Chelsea, saying: "They want to kill us and we want to kill them! It's not a good relationship — it's a deal for money and a deal for players."
- Emiliano Martinez's move to Chelsea completed the eighth deal between the clubs in four years — the joint-most of any Premier League pairing, tied with Chelsea-Brighton.
- This summer alone produced four Villa–Chelsea transfers: Morgan Rogers to Chelsea for £117m, Alejandro Garnacho to Villa on loan (~£43m), Nicolas Jackson to Villa for £65m, and Martinez.
- Chelsea have paid Aston Villa £163.5m since 2022, while Villa have spent £102.5m on Chelsea players — a figure that could rise to £150.5m if Garnacho's loan becomes permanent.
- Chelsea co-owner Behdad Eghbali and Villa owner Nassef Sawiris have developed a close working relationship and communicated directly over transfer business, including Rogers' move.
- UEFA can scrutinise transfers completed between the same clubs within 45 days; Garnacho's loan came two days after Rogers signed, and Jackson's deal went through 38 days after Rogers'.
- Premier League rivals have noticed the volume of business between the two clubs amid financial regulations scrutiny, though there is no suggestion either has broken any rules.
Why it matters: The £163.5m flow from Chelsea to Villa, tied to the close Eghbali-Sawiris relationship, has drawn quiet questions from rival Premier League executives about the frequency of dealings. With UEFA empowered to probe transfers within 45 days of each other, the back-to-back timing of Garnacho and Jackson's moves could invite regulatory scrutiny — though no rules have been broken.
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