Aston Villa are priced at 66/1 to be relegated from the Premier League in 2026/27 as Unai Emery's squad undergoes a drastic makeover following the departure of several key personnel.
In a hugely successful season which witnessed the club achieve UEFA Champions League qualification by finishing fourth in the Premier League, the Villans ended their 30-year trophy drought in May when they dismantled SC Freiburg in the UEFA Europa League final.
Finally unshackled from the weight of expectation to win a trophy, it's hoped Villa's continental success will act as a springboard for the club to reestablish themselves amongst Europe's elite.
Restrained by UEFA and the Premier League's strict spending rules, the departure of the Morgan Rogers felt inevitable, but whatever money Villa received for their talisman would be reinvested. However, what many didn't foresee was the sheer scale of the rebuild being undertaken at Villa Park.
In a major transitional phase, Aston Villa have bid farewell to Rogers, Youri Tielemans and Lucas Digne. Ezri Konsa is the subject of a £51million move to Arsenal. Emiliano Martinez, the 2024 Yashin Trophy winner, is free to leave. Ollie Watkins is wanted by Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal and the England international is open to the move, although Villa are keen to retain the striker's services.
If Martinez and Watkins depart, it means only five members of the XI that started the UEFA Europa League final will still be at the club. From a Premier League perspective, Villa could lose just shy of 50% of the total Premier League minutes from last season's players.
Whilst it does feel the Villans are being dismembered and their vital organs extracted, there have been incomings - and a noticeable shift in the club's recruitment drive.
Villa are yet to purchase a player over the age of 25 in a sizeable regeneration of the squad. Joao Gomes arrived from Wolves which fills the Tielemans void, although midfield options remain light with Amadou Onana sidelined for the foreseeable future after he ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee.
The exciting Johan Manzambi was purchased as successor to Rogers in the 10, but the Switzerland international is currently on the treatment table as he recovers from a knee injury sustained at the World Cup.
Matteo Ruggeri will compete with Ian Maatsen for the starting berth at left-back, while Zion Suzuki appeared set to join Paris Saint-Germain when Villa swooped in at the final hour after a deal to the French and European champions collapsed. The Japan international arrives in Birmingham with the promise that he'll be first choice goalkeeper for the upcoming campaign.
Yet for every captivating signing, there's an Alejandro Garnacho. Then there's the underwhelming links to Tosin Adarabioyo as a Konsa replacement. The acquisition of Aaron Wan-Bissaka could prove to be shrewd business, but Villa are currently plugging gaps with time running out to enhance Emery's options.
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The playing squad is not the only sector to undergo a makeover in B6, and Emery's backroom staff has required surgery.
Assistant coach Pako Ayestaran and individual performance coach Antonio Rodriguez Saravia have left. Chema Sanz arrives from Osasuna to replace Pako, while Alberto Carbo will transition into "Rodri's" role.
Set-piece coach Austin MacPhee was poached by Chelsea, and his replacement - expected to be Pal Fjelde from Burnley - has big shoes to fill.
Ultimately, Villa are set to be a significantly different force to the one witnessed at the end of last season.
The thought of the club being deemed relegation candidates feels laughable, but the sheer magnitude of the task Emery faces cannot be underestimated. This is a seismic moment in the Spaniard's tenure, and Villa are venturing into the exciting unknown - for better or for worse.
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