Aston Villa are reportedly now on the verge of appointing Monchi as our new sporting director, as he looks set to finalise his Sevilla exit.
Speculation has strongly linked the 54-year-old with a move to join us and reunite with Unai Emery this summer, but negotiations between the two clubs have continued in a bid to reach a resolution on key contractual matters.
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According to Relevo though, his departure from Sevilla is now imminent as only minor details are now missing from a deal being agreed, whereby Villa will pay his release clause, which is claimed to be set at €3.1m.
Further, it’s added that Sevilla have now begun their search for his replacement while Villa finalise the details of his new contract with us, which includes the payment terms of his clause, and so all signs now point toward Monchi joining the new-look management structure at the club this summer.
Villa appointed Chris Heck as V Sports’ President of Business Operations last month, while Christian Purslow’s departure was announced this week as he steps down from his position as CEO and director.
While Heck is expected to take over responsibilities relating to business and commercial matters, Monchi is likely to be in charge of the sporting and technical aspect and will no doubt work closely with Emery to deliver what he feels necessary to make us increasingly competitive on and off the pitch.
Given his reputation after the work he has done at Sevilla, albeit he struggled in his last challenge abroad during his stint at Roma, Monchi is widely regarded as one of the best at his job, and so this feels like a major coup for Villa, should it now be made official in the coming hours or days.
Having dug in and continued to push for discussions to reach an agreement, it’s clear how important and valuable both Emery and Villa ownership consider Monchi to be for our plans moving forward, and it’s hoped that he can get to work as soon as possible.