Villa close to naming sporting director Olabe as Monchi replacement

Aston Villa are in advanced talks with former Real Sociedad sporting director Roberto Olabe to replace outgoing president of football operations Monchi.

Olabe, 57, spent seven years at Sociedad before leaving at the end of last season.

Monchi’s imminent exit comes with Villa 18th in the Premier League after a winless start to the season.

He joined Villa in 2023 from Spanish side Sevilla, where he had been sporting director, having previously worked with Villa boss Unai Emery at the La Liga club.

Monchi and Emery helped take Villa to the Europa Conference League semi-finals in 2024 and secured a Champions League place as they finished fourth in the Premier League that season.

They went on to reach the Champions League quarter-finals last term, being knocked out by eventual winners Paris St-Germain.

Villa have started poorly this season, failing to win any of their opening five league games and scoring just once.

Villa boss Emery was involved in choosing Olabe as Monchi’s replacement.

Olabe is from Vitoria, part of the Basque Country in northern Spain, which is about 100 miles from Emery’s hometown of Hondarribia.

He managed Real Union between 2011 and 2012, the team which Emery holds a controlling stake in and where his brother Igor is president.

While Monchi’s departure comes at a time of poor results, it does not impact Emery’s position and his influence on Olabe’s arrival underlines that his position remains strong at Villa.

During Olabe’s time at Sociedad they won the 2020 Copa del Rey, their first major silverware in 33 years.

They also bought Alexander Isak from Willem II and sold him to Newcastle for £63m in 2022, while Martin Zubimendi came through the club’s academy before his £60m departure to Arsenal this summer.

The Gunners also signed Mikel Merino from Sociedad while Olabe brought in Martin Odegaard on loan from Real Madrid the season before he moved to the Emirates.

Monchi and Emery have tried to reshape Villa, spending big on defensive midfielder Amadou Onana, signed for £50m in 2024, and attacker Moussa Diaby, who arrived in 2023 for £43m.

But Diaby was sold to Saudi Pro League side Al-Ittihad after just one season while Onana has struggled with injury.

The imposing Belgium international made just 22 league starts last season after his club record move from Everton, and he is currently out with a hamstring injury having played just twice this term.

In the past 18 months Villa’s spending has been restricted because of Profit and Sustainability restrictions imposed by both the Premier League and Uefa.

In July, Villa were fined £9.5m by European football’s governing body for breaching financial rules.

They needed to sell Douglas Luiz in 2024 to balance the books, with the midfielder joining Juventus for £42m. He made just three Serie A starts last season and joined Nottingham Forest on loan last month.

The sales of Omari Kellyman to Chelsea for £19m and Tim Iroegbunam to Everton for £9m last year also generated important profit, while Jacob Ramsey was sold to Newcastle for £40m last month, with all three having come through the club’s academy.

Just two of the starting XI in Sunday’s 1-1 draw at Sunderland – Rogers and striker Evann Guessand – were signed by Emery and Monchi.

This summer Villa signed goalkeeper Marco Bizot from Brest and Guessand from Nice for £30m, before the deadline day arrivals of Harvey Elliott, Jadon Sancho and Victor Lindelof.

England Under-21 international Elliott joined on loan from Liverpool with a £35m obligation to buy, while Sancho moved on loan from Manchester United and his former Old Trafford team-mate Lindelof joined on a free transfer.