Aston Villa could be raided this summer, particularly if they fail to qualify for the Champions League.
The Villans narrowly missed out on a spot in Europe’s premier tournament last season as they finished sixth in the Premier League table.
Unai Emery’s troops finished on 66 points, level with Newcastle United. However, the Magpies pipped them to the final Champions League spot on goal difference.
In hindsight, that may have been a blessing in disguise for Villa.
They went into the tournament as one of the favourites and will fancy their chances of going all the way after punching their ticket to the quarter-finals.
Their odds of success are significantly bolstered with Emery at the helm.
The Spaniard is the most successful manager in the history of the competition, winning the title four times, including a historic three-peat with Sevilla between 2014 and 2016.
With that record, it would be silly to write off Villa’s chances, especially considering that a Europa League win automatically grants them a spot in the Champions League.
However, if they fail to do so, Villa could be picked apart at the end of the season, and we’ve highlighted three players who may be poached this summer.
Morgan Rogers
Morgan Rogers has been one of the driving forces of Villa’s top-four push and Europa League challenge.
The England international joined Villa from Middlesbrough in 2024 for an initial £8 million – a deal that now looks like one of the bargains of the century.
Rogers has since morphed into a talisman in the final third and one of the most dangerous attacking players in the Premier League.
The 23-year-old has bagged 10 goals and seven assists in 43 appearances across all competitions. This comes after notching 14 goals and 16 assists in 54 games last term.
Rogers has become one of the most in-demand attacking players in the Premier League and is already attracting interest from Chelsea.
Villa will fight tooth and nail to retain his services after tying him to a new five-year deal in November last year. But they may be powerless to stop a big-money exit without Champions League football.
Ollie Watkins
Ollie Watkins came close to joining Arsenal last summer, but the move never materialised, forcing the Gunners to splash around £55m on Swedish striker Viktor Gyokeres.
However, there are rumblings across the football world that the Gunners may be open to bringing in another striker this summer and could potentially revive their interest in Watkins.
The 30-year-old has been a shadow of his prolific self this campaign, but remains one of Emery’s trusted players. He has gradually repaid the manager’s faith by sparking into life in the second half of the season.
After scoring just three times in the first 17 fixtures, Watkins seemed to have recaptured his goalscoring mojo when he bagged four goals in six games between late December and late January.
However, the goals have dried up over the past few weeks, with Watkins going six Premier League games without scoring.
Despite his shaky form, Watkins is reportedly attracting interest from Manchester United.
Amadou Onana
Like Watkins, Amadou Onana has also been linked with a big-money move to United, particularly with Casemiro set to leave Old Trafford at the end of the season.
The Red Devils have a longstanding interest in Onana and have been monitoring his development since his Everton days. Villa may have beaten them to the punch, but United haven’t given up on Onana.
Since joining from Everton in the summer of 2024, Onana has been a lynchpin in the Villa midfield.
The Belgium international has made 30 appearances this season and is also a key part of Villa’s Champions League push.
It remains to be seen if United will act on their interest, but Onana is a high-value target, and Villa will likely have a fight on their hands this summer.
