'They want to kill us!' - Aston Villa boss Unai Emery rubbishes talk of Chelsea friendship despite frantic summer transfer business between clubs

Aston Villa and Chelsea have engaged in an astonishing volume of transfer activity over recent seasons. The latest window saw Emiliano Martinez head to Stamford Bridge in a £7.5m deal, following Morgan Rogers' blockbuster £117m switch. In return, Villa secured Nicolas Jackson for a club-record fee of up to £65m, while Alejandro Garnacho arrived on loan with a conditional obligation to buy.

The financial outlay between the two sides has been massive. Since 2022, the Blues have handed Villa £163.5m, while the Midlands outfit has committed £102.5m in the opposite direction - a figure that could reach £150.5m if Garnacho's move becomes permanent. The sheer frequency of these deals has even raised eyebrows among other Premier League executives, although there is no suggestion that any financial regulations have been breached.

Despite the constant communication required to facilitate these moves, Emery was quick to shut down any notion of a budding friendship between the two sides. The Spaniard made it clear that the connection is strictly professional and purely transactional.

"Good relations? The relationship is only through the deals – for money, for other players," Emery explained. "They want to kill us. And we want to kill them… it is not a good relationship. Of course, because we have good players and we can as well sign players from them, but it’s not a good relationship, it’s a deal for money and a deal for players."

The Villa manager emphasised that Chelsea's acquisitions of key personnel, including set-piece coach Austin MacPhee, were designed to weaken his side. "They are signing Morgan, they are signing Emiliano Martinez to kill us," he added. "I am happy for Emiliano Martinez, I am happy for Morgan Rogers and, of course, I know I am not happy for Chelsea."

The departures of Martinez and star striker Ollie Watkins, who left for Al-Hilal, mean Villa have lost six regular starters from the team that triumphed in May's Europa League final. Emery acknowledged the difficult task ahead as he integrates new faces like Leon Goretzka and Zion Suzuki. "I know we must rebuild the team," the Spaniard added. "We will need time. But we must compete on Monday. We needed to compete last Sunday in Brighton but we didn’t compete. We are working every day as fast as possible to be ready, everybody."

Villa face a daunting task as they host reigning champions Arsenal on Monday, hoping to respond after a crushing 4-0 defeat to Brighton. Emery could hand debuts to new arrivals Jackson, Goretzka, and Suzuki as he hastily rebuilds his squad.

The Basque tactician was full of praise for his former club ahead of the clash. "Arsenal are the favourites," Emery declared. "Arsenal, looking at the team with [Mikel] Arteta there seven years in a row, are getting better and better and are investing more and more. They are getting bigger and bigger as a club with the players they can sign. Arteta is doing a fantastic job. Arsenal are the favourites to win the Premier League and to win the Champions League. I like watching them a lot."