Aston Villa's Europa League-winning squad is being dismantled just months after ending a 30-year wait for a trophy, with up to six of the starting XI from May's final against Freiburg potentially sold before the transfer window closes. Ezri Konsa's imminent £51m move to Arsenal is the latest departure, following exits for goalscorers Youri Tielemans and Morgan Rogers, the latter's £117m switch to Chelsea a record for an English player, plus Lucas Digne's sale to Paris St-Germain. The upheaval stems largely from financial necessity rather than choice, leaving manager Unai Emery with a significant rebuilding job.

Villa's sales are driven by Uefa's squad cost ratio rules, which cap spending on wages and transfers at 70% of football revenue; the club has already been fined twice for breaches, including a £19.4m penalty in June. Having posted losses of £119.6m and £85.4m in the two years before returning to profit, Villa have raised around £212m in this window alone, including the Konsa deal, adding to over £200m banked from sales such as Jhon Duran and Douglas Luiz in the previous two years. Only Matty Cash, Pau Torres, Victor Lindelof, John McGinn and Emi Buendia look set to remain from the Istanbul-winning XI, while doubts also persist over goalkeeper Emi Martinez and striker Ollie Watkins.