Reports linking Monchi with a move to Premier League outfit Aston Villa have taken Sevilla ‘by surprise’ with the highly-rated sporting director potentially set for a sudden departure.
After missing out on Mateu Alemany – the Barcelona chief opting to stay at the Camp Nou at the eleventh hour – Aston Villa will now be hoping that history does not repeat itself.
Does the confirmation of Christian Purslow’s departure on Monday morning suggest a confidence, on Villa’s part, that Monchi will soon be arriving to take his place? That much remains to be seen. What cannot be disputed, however, is that Aston Villa’s restructuring behind the scenes is continuing apace after an outstanding debut season under Unai Emery.
The Guardian reports that one of European football’s most esteemed sporting directors – Monchi helped Sevilla win a record seventh Europa League title a fortnight ago – has been lined up to replace Purslow, who spent the last half-decade in charge of the day to day running of one of England’s most historic footballing institutions.
Marca, meanwhile, believe that Monchi has already informed Sevilla of his desire to leave. Much to the disappointment of president Pepe Castro.
Is Monchi leaving Sevilla for Aston Villa?
“The Monchi affair has caught us a bit by surprise. In addition, everything has been so fast. A piece of news comes out that is not pleasant, whether he stays or not,” Castro explains.
“What I can say is that Monchi has a contract with Sevilla and is working on planning (for next season). That is the reality. I cannot say anything else about Monchi at this time. We hope and wish that he will stay with us.”
Monchi, or Ramon Rodriguez Verdejo to give him his real name, spent 16 years at Sevilla between 2000 and 2016, dragging the club from the second tier to the top of the European game while presiding over the signings of Sergio Ramos, Dani Alves, Luis Fabiano, Ivan Rakitic and more.
After a brief and largely underwhelming spell at Roma, he returned to Andalusia in 2019. A move to Aston Villa would now see Monchi reunite with Unai Emery, who famously guided Sevilla to three successive Europa League titles between 2013 and 2016.
“For us, if Monchi leaves, it is not pleasant,” Castro adds. “He has been an important piece in our entity and in the successes of Sevilla. There is no specific date (for the situation to be resolved). But it is true that it should be close. The logical and normal thing is that the sporting director is already planning the next season
“But if his idea is (to leave), he must notify us now. We hope that does not happen. I reiterate that what we want is for him to stay with us.”
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