Pau Torres reveals what bothers Unai Emery the most, Morgan Rogers sent transfer warning and Stefan Borson talks finances
15:47, 02 Apr 2026Updated 15:48, 02 Apr 2026
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery(Image: Ryan Browne/Shutterstock)
Aston Villa return to action next week following the conclusion of the March international break and weekend FA Cup fixtures.
Unai Emery’s side face a demanding schedule, playing seven games in the space of 16 days. Their run begins with a trip to face Bologna in Italy, before they then take on Nottingham Forest between the two legs of their Europa League quarter-final, ahead of hosting Fulham.
Securing qualification for the Champions League remains Emery’s primary objective in the final two months of the season, while ending the club’s 30-year trophy drought is also a key target, with the Europa League offering that opportunity.
Torres explains what bothers Emery the most
Villa have now reached three consecutive European quarter-finals under Emery, who transformed the club in a matter of months following his appointment as head coach in November 2022.
Now manager, Emery is the most powerful figure at the club and would cement his status as a legend by delivering silverware in May – potentially securing his fifth Europa League title.
Pau Torres, who won the competition under Emery in 2021 with Villarreal, spoke to Marca during Villa’s trip to Spain last week about his manager.
“Yes, I think the club grew tremendously with Unai’s arrival,” the defender said. “We went from fighting to avoid relegation, so to speak, to now aiming for European qualification every year.
“Every year we’ve been there, we’ve played in European competitions, and we know there are many teams with significant financial resources and squads capable of competing with us and even ahead of us, but our objective as a team is to always be among the top contenders, and if we can qualify for the Champions League, even better.
“I think this will bring a lot of stability to the club, allowing us to improve the squad, and it’s something we all want to strive for.”
Torres continued: “He’s a very hard-working coach. From the first day I met him, I saw that he was the last to leave the training ground, around 7 or 8 in the evening. We realised that the results he had achieved up to that point weren’t a coincidence; they were the fruit of his hard work and that of his staff.
“They are people who dedicate themselves fully to football all day long, and as you say, the team’s confidence in him and his playing style was absolute from the start. There were no doubts despite those initial results.
“Through consistency, hard work, and by changing some aspects that he and his staff analyzed, the team was able to improve its results and approach the season differently.”
“Ultimately, what bothers him most about the team is when the game plan doesn’t unfold as he intended or when the team doesn’t follow his instructions.
“In the end, if the team shows the right attitude and tries to play the way we want, he knows we might win, lose, or draw, but we always have to give it our all.”
Sinclair: Rogers better off staying at Villa
Securing the financial rewards of the Champions League would give Villa greater flexibility in the transfer market. However, financial regulations will still limit their spending until their revenue aligns more closely with the country’s biggest commercial clubs.
Former Villa winger Scott Sinclair believes that qualifying for the Champions League could prove decisive in determining whether Morgan Rogers remains at Villa Park.
However, Sinclair has also warned that a move away this summer would represent a significant risk for the England international.
“It’s just trying to manage both fronts for Aston Villa. The main objective is to be in that Champions League spot and be playing in the Champions League next season,” he told OLBG.
“But of course, there’s also the Europa League. It’s a hard one, but at the same time, they’ve got to focus on both competitions. They need to try and get into the Champions League while also keeping an eye on the Europa League.
“You can see what Unai Emery has done since he’s been at the club. He’s done a fantastic job and has made the team better. Now they are competing up there in the top five. With the players they’ve got, he’s made them gel and got them playing very well together. He’s a very good manager and I think they wouldn’t want him to leave.
“For Morgan Rogers, if you’re a top player, you want to be playing in the Champions League. I’m sure that’ll probably be in the back of his head. But, like I said, Aston Villa is a very big club and they are competing in the top five. The grass is not always greener when you want to move on, but I’d like to see him stay and be the main man.
“He’s on form. I think it’s exciting times for him and I’m excited to see him go to the World Cup and be one of the stars of the show. For me, it’s about him going out there in full form and doing as well as he can.”
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Borson explains Villa’s financial position
Villa published their latest accounts on Tuesday night, showing a £17 million profit after tax, with total revenue up 37 per cent to £378.1 million. The primary driver was their return to the Champions League, which boosted broadcast, matchday, and prize money income.
Sponsorship revenue also rose by 31 per cent to £28.6 million, while other commercial income jumped an impressive 69 per cent to £70 million.
Capital expenditure quadrupled to £69.3 million, funding hospitality refurbishments at Villa Park, new retail stores, and the opening of The Warehouse, a 3,500‑capacity entertainment venue that opened in December.
Meanwhile, Bodymoor Heath also received upgrades, including a new rehab centre, and preparatory work has begun on the North Stand redevelopment, which will push capacity above 50,000.
Their revenue will inevitably fall in this season’s accounts without Champions League income, but it would rise again if Villa return to UEFA’s elite club competition in the 2026/27 season.
Speaking to Football Insider, football finance expert Stefan Borson discussed whether Villa would need to sell one of their key players this summer.
“If they were to finish third in the Premier League and win the Europa League, then you’re not telling me that makes no difference,” said Borson.
“That just doesn’t make any sense. That would be an amazing season for them. Obviously, it’s not as good as getting to the latter stages of the Champions League, but you’d still do €40m (£35m) plus matchday from the Europa League.
“It’s not the £70m that probably Newcastle got from the Champions League round of 16, but it’s still a lot.”
He added: “Their league position would guarantee them let’s say £160m for finishing in third, so that’s still £200m broadcast all in.
“That would be a very good season, and they’d have guaranteed themselves Champions League next season, where they’d do a minimum of £70m, probably with matchday a minimum of £90m.
“There are some additional costs there, and there are bonus costs and all that sort of stuff, but it’s still materially different from the position where they don’t qualify.
“I can understand if they don’t qualify for the Champions League and the season sort of peters out, then I can see that they would need to try and find some sales.”
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