Aston Villa are currently ninth in the Premier League table and are facing the possibility of failing to qualify for the Champions League for a second successive season.
However, the Villans are only three points behind Manchester City in fifth and four points behind Chelsea in fourth, with nine matches left to play, and this means that they still have a chance to land a place in Europe’s top competition next term.
Unai Emery’s side are also in the quarter-finals of the Champions League, thanks to their win over Club Brugge, and could seal a place in next year’s edition of the competition by winning it in the current campaign.
However they do it, sporting director Monchi could have an exciting summer transfer window ahead of him if they qualify for the tournament, and here is the dream XI he could build…
1 Emi Martinez
There is little doubt that Aston Villa will want their World Cup-winning goalkeeper, Emi Martinez, to remain as their number one next season, as he has made 40 appearances in all competitions this term.
2 Ezri Konsa
Emery either selects a traditional right-back, like Andre Garcia or Matty Cash, or a hybrid right-back and centre-back option like Ezri Konsa, and we have gone for the England international in that multi-faceted role for this particular XI.
3 Loic Bade
The first summer signing coming into the starting line-up could be French centre-back Loic Bade, who was linked with a move to Villa Park in January.
He has a £50m release clause in his contract, which RB Leipzig are reportedly willing to pay, and Monchi could look to activate it to bolster Emery’s defence, instead of pursuing a permanent deal for Axel Disasi.
Appearances
23
10
Tackles + interceptions per game
2.7
1.8
Dribbled past per game
0.3x
0.7x
Clearances per game
4.7
2.6
Ground duel success rate
64%
49%
Aerial duel success rate
68%
60%
As you can see in the table above, Bade has significantly outperformed the Chelsea loanee as an out-and-out defender, particularly when it comes to winning his physical duels and avoiding being dribbled past.
Therefore, Aston Villa could improve their defence by splashing £50m on the Sevilla star to come in and replace Disasi in the summer window.
4 Pau Torres
Next to Bade and Konsa, Aston Villa and Emery could stick with the naturally left-footed Pau Torres, who has started all 18 of his appearances in the Premier League this season.
5 Ian Maatsen
The left-back position is a tough one to call. 31-year-old Lucas Digne has provided four assists in 28 matches and offers an experienced option, but 23-year-old Ian Maatsen, who scored against Club Brugge last time out, could be the future for the Villans in that role.
6 Boubacar Kamara
In the middle of the park, Boubacar Kamara could line up at the base of the midfield to provide defensive protection, with his 3.2 tackles and interceptions per game in the Premier League this season.
7 Youri Tielemans
Next to Kamara, Youri Tielemans could be one of the first-choice central midfield players in the 2025/26 campaign. He has offered a big creative threat this season with 13 ‘big chances’ created and four assists in the Premier League.
8 Marco Asensio
The second signing of this XI could be the addition of Marco Asensio on a permanent deal at the end of his loan spell from Paris Saint-Germain this summer.
It was recently reported that Villa are plotting a move to sign the 29-year-old forward, who is valued at £25m by PSG, and that should come as no surprise given his performances in recent months.
Since joining on loan from PSG, the Spain international has racked up an eye-catching return of seven goals in eight matches, including two goals in three Champions League outings.
The experienced former Real Madrid man, therefore, could be an excellent signing for Villa on a permanent deal this summer to provide a big goalscoring threat from an attacking midfield position next term.
9 Morgan Rogers
Of course, there would be no dream Aston Villa XI that does not include England international Morgan Rogers, who has produced 12 goals and seven assists in all competitions this season.
10 Matheus Cunha
The third signing that Monchi could make to build this dream line-up could be Wolverhampton Wanderers attacker Matheus Cunha, who was linked with a move to Villa Park in January and has a release clause worth £62.5m.
Villa currently have Marcus Rashford on loan from Manchester United in this position but the English forward could be sent back to Old Trafford in the summer, instead of exercising their option to buy him, to make room for Cunha.
Appearances
26
20
xG
6.72
1.99
Goals
13
4
Big chances created
12
8
Assists
4
3
As you can see in the table above, the Brazil international has outperformed Rashford in the Premier League this season and could come in to offer a bigger threat to opposition defenders at the top end of the pitch.
Like the English speedster, Cunha also has the ability to play in any of the three attacking midfield positions or as a centre-forward, which would make him a valuable option to Emery because he can cover multiple roles.
