Aston Villa squad retention has dropped to 65.6%, the lowest figure in the Premier League, after four members of Unai Emery’s Europa League-winning starting XI departed this summer.
Sky Sports’ analysis puts Villa below every other club in the division, including Tottenham, whose retention figure stands at 67.1%.
The comparison exposes the scale of the upheaval at Villa Park following the departures of Morgan Rogers, Youri Tielemans, Lucas Digne and Ezri Konsa.
Tottenham are rebuilding after consecutive 17th-place finishes. Villa, by contrast, have dismantled significant parts of a team that won the Europa League and qualified for the Champions League.
Sunday’s 4-0 defeat at Brighton suggested the consequences are already being felt.
Aston Villa squad retention ranks last in Premier League
The 65.6% figure provides the clearest comparison yet between Villa’s summer and the changes taking place elsewhere in the division.
Four players who started the Europa League final have already gone, while uncertainty continues around Ollie Watkins and Emiliano Martínez.
Villa’s changing Europa League final team was already a concern last week. The newly reported retention ranking now shows that no Premier League club has experienced a greater overall loss of continuity.
That matters because Emery’s system relies heavily on established relationships between goalkeeper, defence, midfield and attack.
Replacing individual players is one challenge. Rebuilding several of those relationships simultaneously creates a much bigger problem, particularly with Arsenal visiting Villa Park on Monday.
Four departures removed Villa’s established spine
Rogers provided much of Villa’s attacking creativity before his £117million transfer to Chelsea.
Chelsea’s official announcement highlighted his involvement in 40 goals across 85 Premier League appearances for Villa. Replacing that output requires more than simply signing another attacking midfielder.
Tielemans also offered control in possession and experience in Emery’s midfield before completing his move to Manchester United.
At the back, Konsa’s departure removed one of Villa’s longest-serving defenders. Reuters reports that he made 286 appearances for the club, including 48 last season, before joining Arsenal in a deal worth up to £55million.
Digne’s exit also took away another experienced member of the team that started the Europa League final.
Villa have recruited replacements, but several are still settling. Reuters confirmed the arrivals of Zion Suzuki and Matteo Ruggeri, while Alejandro Garnacho offers another attacking option.
However, Suzuki remained on the bench against Brighton, while Ruggeri and Garnacho only appeared as substitutes.
Brighton exposed Villa’s rebuilding problem before Arsenal
The numbers from the Amex Stadium illustrated how quickly Villa’s lack of cohesion became a problem.
Brighton scored four times inside 31 minutes and generated 3.54 expected goals from open play, the highest figure Villa have conceded during Emery’s tenure.
Villa managed only two touches inside Brighton’s penalty area before João Gomes was sent off and finished the match with five overall.
The Brazilian’s suspension before the Arsenal fixture adds another complication, particularly with Amadou Onana and Johan Manzambi sidelined.
Leon Goretzka could offer an immediate midfield solution if Villa complete his registration before the expected Friday cutoff.
Elsewhere, Villa’s bid for Jean-Philippe Mateta and their interest in Rafael Leão show efforts to strengthen the attack before the window closes.
Further arrivals may be necessary. But the Premier League’s lowest retention figure suggests Emery’s biggest task is rebuilding the understanding that made Villa successful before this summer’s departures.
