Villa and Chelsea Transfers: Why the Clubs Keep Doing Business
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By Mohamed Moallim, BBC Sport journalist
Published 30 August 2026
Updated 1 hour ago
Unai Emery has insisted that there are no "good relations" between Chelsea and Aston Villa after a series of transfers between the clubs.
On Sunday, Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez joined Chelsea from Villa, completing the eighth deal between them in the past four years. Martinez’s move to Chelsea comes after Nicolas Jackson‘s transfer the other way last week.
No two Premier League clubs have exchanged more players—on permanent or loan deals—in the past four years. But Villa boss Emery said the relationship between the two clubs is "only through the deals for money".
"Good relations?" he said. "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."
"I am happy for Emiliano Martinez and Morgan Rogers and I know I am not happy for Chelsea."
A series of deals between the clubs began after Chelsea’s owners, BlueCo, took control of the club in 2022 and signed Carney Chukwuemeka from Villa for £20m that summer. This was followed by Ian Maatsen (£37.5m, to Villa), Omari Kellyman (£19m, to Chelsea), and Axel Disasi (a £5m loan deal, to Villa).
This summer alone has brought four more deals. Morgan Rogers completed a £117m move to Chelsea, while Alejandro Garnacho joined Villa on loan with a conditional obligation to buy in a deal worth around £43m. Jackson then moved to Villa for £65m, before Martinez followed.
Since 2022, Chelsea have paid Aston Villa £163.5m for players. Villa have spent £102.5m on Chelsea players including Axel Disasi’s loan fee. That figure could rise to £150.5m should certain criteria be met to make Garnacho’s loan move permanent.
Chelsea believe the terms are easily reachable.
Chelsea and Villa have done business before. Tammy Abraham, Ross Barkley, Danny Drinkwater, Ryan Bertrand, Steve Sidwell, and Andy Townsend are among those to have moved between the clubs during the Premier League era, while John Terry joined Villa after leaving Chelsea.
But the recent volume of business between the clubs has not gone unnoticed elsewhere in the Premier League, at a time when both have had to navigate domestic and European financial regulations. One source told BBC Sport that a number of club executives have raised questions about the frequency of the dealings.
There is no suggestion, though, that either club have broken any rules.
BBC Sport has approached Chelsea and Aston Villa for comment.
