Aston Villa's president of football operations, Monchi, has officially departed the club, a move confirmed by multiple sources following the team's dismal, winless start to the current Premier League season. The 57-year-old joined Villa in June 2023, reuniting with manager Unai Emery, with whom he had previously enjoyed a highly successful period at Spanish side Sevilla as sporting director.

During Monchi's two seasons at Aston Villa, the club experienced notable successes. In his first term, Monchi and Emery guided Villa to a fourth-place finish in the Premier League, securing a coveted spot in the Champions League. They also reached the semi-finals of the Europa Conference League in 2024. The following season saw Villa advance to the Champions League quarter-finals, where they were ultimately knocked out by eventual winners Paris St-Germain, and finish sixth in the Premier League. However, they narrowly missed out on back-to-back Champions League qualification after a crucial loss to Manchester United on the final day.

The club's recent performance has been a stark contrast to these previous achievements. Aston Villa finds itself 18th in the Premier League after failing to win any of its opening five league games this season, scoring only one goal, which came from Matty Cash in a 1-1 draw against 10-man Sunderland. Adding to their woes, Villa was also knocked out of the EFL Cup on penalties by Brentford last week. The summer transfer window under Monchi's purview also proved challenging, with permanent deals secured only for Evann Guessand and Marco Bizot, alongside loan acquisitions of Harvey Elliott and Jadon Sancho, and Victor Lindelöf on a free transfer.

In the wake of Monchi's departure, Aston Villa is reportedly in advanced discussions with Roberto Olabe, the former sporting director of Real Sociedad, to fill the vacant role. Olabe, also 57, spent seven years at Sociedad before leaving at the end of last season, bringing a wealth of experience to potentially steer Villa through its current challenging period.