Unai Emery: Chelsea-Aston Villa transfers are 'a deal for money', not a good relationship

Unai Emery has made it clear that there is no cosy alliance between Aston Villa and Chelsea, despite a constant stream of players moving between the two clubs. The Spanish coach says the connections are limited to commercial deals and that the on-pitch rivalry is very much alive. His comments follow Emiliano Martinez's switch to Chelsea, which completed the eighth transfer between the sides in four years, the busiest exchange between any two Premier League clubs over that period.

• Eight deals between Chelsea and Aston Villa since 2022, more than any other Premier League pairing.
• Emery insists the relationship is "only through the deals for money" and that there is no goodwill.
• Four moves have been completed this summer alone, including Morgan Rogers, Alejandro Garnacho, Nicolas Jackson and Emiliano Martinez.
• The volume of business has raised questions among executives at other Premier League clubs.
• There is no suggestion that either Chelsea or Aston Villa have broken any financial rules.

What Unai Emery said about the Chelsea and Aston Villa relationship

Emery did not hold back when asked about the apparent good relationship between the two boards. Rather than confirming a spirit of co-operation, the Villa manager framed every move as a purely financial matter and stressed that the sporting rivalry remains fierce.

Good relations? They want to kill us and we want to kill them. We have good players and we can sign one player off them. It's not a good relationship, it's a deal for money and a deal for players.

The 53-year-old also said he was pleased for Emiliano Martinez and Morgan Rogers, while making it clear he was not exactly thrilled to see Chelsea strengthen. His remarks come at a time when the flow of players between the two clubs has intensified significantly.

Every Chelsea and Aston Villa transfer since 2022

The sequence of deals began after BlueCo took control of Chelsea in 2022. That summer, Carney Chukwuemeka moved from Villa Park to Stamford Bridge for 20 million pounds. Ian Maatsen later joined Aston Villa for 37.5 million, Omari Kellyman headed to Chelsea for 19 million, and Axel Disasi completed a loan switch to Villa for a fee of around 5 million.

Business has accelerated this summer with four more agreements. Morgan Rogers completed a 117 million pound move to Chelsea, while Alejandro Garnacho arrived at Villa Park on loan with a conditional obligation to buy worth around 43 million. Nicolas Jackson then joined Villa for 65 million, before Emiliano Martinez made the reverse journey to strengthen Chelsea's goalkeeping department.

How much money Chelsea and Aston Villa have moved in transfer dealings

Since BlueCo's arrival, Chelsea have paid Aston Villa 163.5 million pounds for players. Villa have spent 102.5 million on Chelsea players, including the loan fee for Disasi. That figure could climb to 150.5 million if the conditions that would make Garnacho's loan permanent are met, with Chelsea believing those targets are easily reachable.

Why the transfer volume is attracting attention across the Premier League

The steady exchange of players has not gone unnoticed in Premier League boardrooms. A number of club executives have asked questions about how often Chelsea and Aston Villa are doing business, particularly while both clubs have had to navigate domestic and European financial regulations. There is no indication, however, that either side has broken any rules.

There are explanations beyond simple institutional friendship. Chelsea co-owner Behdad Eghbali and Villa owner Nassef Sawiris have built a close working relationship and have negotiated directly over transfer business. Even so, Chelsea did not have a clear run at Morgan Rogers: Arsenal also pushed to sign the midfielder, and the player himself chose Stamford Bridge.

What UEFA rules say about transfers between the same clubs

UEFA has the power to scrutinise transfers completed between the same clubs within a 45-day window. Garnacho's move to Villa came two days after Rogers signed for Chelsea, while Jackson's permanent transfer went through 38 days after the Rogers deal. However, a timeline alone is not proof that any of the deals were connected.

Villa can point to their long-held interest in Jackson, who previously worked under Emery at Villarreal. Chelsea can argue that their pursuit of Martinez was independent of previous business with Villa and would have happened regardless of which club he played for. The goalkeeper had already attracted interest from Juventus earlier in the window, with a finger injury understood to have scuppered that move.

How Chelsea and Aston Villa compare with the rest of the league

No Premier League pairing has completed more deals with each other over the past four seasons. Chelsea and Aston Villa lead the way with eight, the same number as Chelsea and Brighton. Newcastle and Nottingham Forest follow with six, while Arsenal and Chelsea have struck five deals. Chelsea appear in six of the ten busiest club pairings, underlining the scale of squad turnover since BlueCo paid 4.25 billion pounds for the club and ended Roman Abramovich's 19-year ownership.

Transfers between English clubs also carry natural appeal. Premier League sides generally have greater spending power than most teams elsewhere in Europe, making them realistic buyers for high-value players. Signing from within the same competition also removes some uncertainty, since recruitment teams are already familiar with a player's qualities, fitness and top-flight record.

Frequently asked questions about Chelsea and Aston Villa transfers