Monchi left Aston Villa because of questions over his recruitment hit-rate | OneFootball

Aston Villa president of football operations, Monchi, will leave the Birmingham-based club after just over two years due to questions surrounding his recruitment record (h/t Sky Sports).

The Villa transfer chief delivered an underwhelming summer window that has left the Villans struggling this season.

Under Monchi, Villa signed Evann Guessand, Jadon Sancho, Harvey Elliott, and Victor Lindeflof.

But that was clearly not good enough for a club of Villa’s stature, considering they needed reinvestment across the park.

Monchi’s tenure at Villa has been hampered by financial restrictions imposed by the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) and UEFA regulations.

However, there are also serious doubts over his hit rate in the transfer market. His signings have not caught the eye, and the team clearly lacks a spark.

Frustration was evident at the end of the summer window, with head coach Unai Emery left waiting until deadline day for reinforcements.

The sale of key homegrown player Jacob Ramsey to Newcastle United, which was intended to meet financial obligations, also didn’t help.

The restrictions have left Villa’s owners unable to leverage their wealth and ambition fully.

Still, questions over Monchi’s strategy persisted, with fans and figures inside the club unconvinced that his dealings matched the scale of Villa’s ambitions.

The 57-year-old Spaniard forged strong ties with Emery and the director of football Damien Vidagany.

His work was influential in guiding the Villans into the Champions League last season.

Unfortunately, Villa narrowly missed out on returning this term, finishing sixth, and momentum has since stalled.

The mood that followed April’s stunning win over Paris Saint-Germain has evaporated.

The Villains sit in the bottom three after collecting just three points from five winnable games, and with pressure building, the hierarchy has decided to make changes.

For now, Emery remains, but Monchi’s departure suggests Villa are recalibrating their football structure in search of a fresh direction.