Aston Villa’s extraordinary summer rebuild is complete after Unai Emery added Ibrahim Mbaye and Taylor Harwood-Bellis on Deadline Day, leaving him with a starting XI almost unrecognisable from last season.
Villa completed around £77million of final-day business, signing Mbaye from Paris Saint-Germain for approximately £47m and Harwood-Bellis from Southampton in a package worth up to £30m.
Those moves followed major arrivals including Nicolas Jackson, Johan Manzambi, João Gomes, Zion Suzuki, Matteo Ruggeri and Leon Goretzka.
Sky Sports’ complete list of Aston Villa’s summer business underlines the scale of the overhaul, with Morgan Rogers, Ezri Konsa, Ollie Watkins, Youri Tielemans and Emiliano Martinez among the stars sold.
Emery insisted after Monday’s defeat to Arsenal that Villa had replaced the departing players as planned and that he was “not expecting more” additions.
So, when everybody is available, what could Villa’s strongest XI actually look like?
Aston Villa’s strongest defence looks completely different
GK: Zion Suzuki
There is already little debate over Villa’s new No.1.
Suzuki replaced Marco Bizot against Arsenal and impressed immediately after being handed his Aston Villa debut.
The £30m goalkeeper even produced the piece of distribution which led Gary Neville to call it “one of the best passes I’ve ever seen”.
RB: Aaron Wan-Bissaka
This is probably the closest defensive call.
Matty Cash remains a trusted Emery player and started against Arsenal, but Wan-Bissaka offers outstanding one-on-one defending and should eventually push hard for the position.
CB: Taylor Harwood-Bellis
Villa did not spend up to £30m after two rejected bids for Harwood-Bellis merely to provide depth.
The England international was recruited following Konsa’s Arsenal departure, with Villa eventually getting their man after a prolonged Southampton pursuit.
CB: Pau Torres
Pau’s left-footed distribution remains important to Emery’s build-up structure.
Victor Lindelöf and Tyrone Mings provide serious competition, but Pau looks the natural partner for Harwood-Bellis.
LB: Ian Maatsen
Maatsen edges Matteo Ruggeri for now.
Villa’s determination to keep the Netherlands international despite Manchester United interest demonstrated how highly he remains valued.
Defence
Suzuki; Wan-Bissaka, Harwood-Bellis, Pau Torres, Maatsen
Emery has an enormous midfield selection problem
This is where selecting a definitive XI becomes difficult.
CM: Boubacar Kamara
Kamara remains the obvious defensive anchor.
His positional intelligence provides the platform for Emery to use a more adventurous midfielder alongside him.
CM: João Gomes
Gomes gets the nod in our strongest XI.
Villa paid around £38m for the former Wolves midfielder, and his ball-winning intensity gives Emery qualities lost through Tielemans’ departure.
There are significant alternatives.
Goretzka brings Champions League-winning experience but is still building fitness. Emery said after Arsenal that the German requires more sessions before reaching the level Villa need.
Amadou Onana remains another powerful option, while captain John McGinn is obviously capable of changing the structure entirely.
Then there is Manzambi.
AM: Johan Manzambi
Manzambi is the most intriguing selection.
The 20-year-old played deeper for Freiburg but demonstrated considerably more attacking quality for Switzerland at the World Cup. Villa themselves have highlighted his ability to perform different midfield roles. (Premier League)
He recorded nine goals and 11 assists in 58 competitive Freiburg appearances before joining Villa, according to Freiburg’s confirmation of his transfer.
That versatility makes him the most logical candidate to operate between midfield and attack when fit.
Emery is being cautious with his return from injury, saying Manzambi is working individually before beginning group work this week.
Midfield
Kamara, João Gomes; Manzambi
Mbaye, Garnacho and Jackson transform Aston Villa attack
RW: Ibrahim Mbaye
This position now belongs to one of Villa’s most exciting Deadline Day additions.
Mbaye completed his €55m move after Villa had already progressed through agreement, travel and medical stages, with ReadAstonVilla covering the completed PSG transfer.
The teenager arrives as a Champions League winner and Senegal international despite being only 18. Reuters notes he leaves PSG after eight years at the club and became their youngest-ever Ligue 1 starter in 2024.
Garnacho brings direct running and Premier League experience from the left.
Emery introduced him from the bench against Arsenal, but he should have a serious opportunity to become a regular once fully integrated.
ST: Nicolas Jackson
The easiest attacking decision.
Jackson was Villa’s major centre-forward investment after Watkins left for Al-Hilal and immediately started against Arsenal.
We had already examined how Villa could line up around Jackson before the window closed, but the additions of Mbaye and Harwood-Bellis have now completed the picture.
Tammy Abraham’s decision to stay gives Emery another senior striker, but Jackson begins as the obvious first choice.
Aston Villa strongest XI, 4-2-3-1
Suzuki
Wan-Bissaka – Harwood-Bellis – Pau Torres – Maatsen
Kamara – João Gomes
Mbaye – Manzambi – Garnacho
Jackson
It leaves players including McGinn, Goretzka, Onana, Ruggeri, Cash, Lindelöf, Buendía and Abraham outside the XI.
That illustrates the depth Emery now possesses.
The more important question is how quickly these pieces can become a team.
Villa have started the Premier League season with consecutive defeats and are yet to score, with our post-Arsenal analysis highlighting their alarming attacking numbers.
The transfer work is finished.
Now Emery has to make the rebuild work on the pitch.
