Aston Villa manager Unai Emery has offered a blunt assessment of his club’s recent transfer activity with Chelsea, rejecting the notion that the two sides share a friendly rapport. Addressing the series of high-profile moves between the clubs this summer, the Spaniard stated, “They want to kill us and we want to kill them!” He insisted that the transactions were strictly motivated by financial interests rather than any underlying goodwill.
The flurry of movement began on July 21 when Chelsea completed a British-record deal for Morgan Rogers, paying £117 million for the Englishman. The relationship continued shortly after when Argentine winger Alejandro Garnacho moved to Villa on a loan deal for the 2026-27 season, which includes an obligation to buy. The business between the clubs intensified on August 28, when Villa announced the signing of Chelsea forward Nicolas Jackson for £47.5 million, plus a potential £17.5 million in add-ons. By August 30, Chelsea finalized another deal, securing goalkeeper Emi Martinez from Villa for a reported £7.5 million fee.
Following his move, Martinez made an immediate impact for his new club, debuting in Chelsea’s 4-3 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion on August 30. Speaking to Sky Sports after the match, the goalkeeper praised his new attacking teammates, Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers, and Joao Pedro, noting that “they’re different” after the trio played pivotal roles in the win. Palmer scored, Rogers provided an assist, and Pedro contributed both a goal and an assist.
While Chelsea has enjoyed a strong start to the 2026-27 Premier League campaign with two wins, Aston Villa is looking to rebound from a difficult opening. Emery’s side suffered a 4-0 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion in their first league match and is preparing for a fixture against Arsenal on August 31. Meanwhile, Chelsea is turning its attention toward a high-stakes clash against Arsenal scheduled for September 6. The report also notes that the Spaniard has claimed that the clubs do not have a ‘good relationship’ and the deals they have made are only for ‘money’. The report also notes that in a recent press conference, Emery was asked if the several transfers were down to the good relations between the two sides. The report also notes that the Spanish tactician replied (via BBC ). The report also notes that just hours after his reported £7.5 million move to Stamford Bridge was made official, Martinez made his debut for the club against the Seagulls. The report also notes that up next, Chelsea will be seen in action in a mouth-watering Premier League clash against Arsenal (Sunday, September 6).
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