Aston Villa Appoint Roberto Olabe After Monchi Exit

Coming to the Premier League, Aston Villa has confirmed a major shake-up in their football operations with the departure of Monchi as president of football. The Spaniard, who joined Villa Park in June 2023, had previously enjoyed success at Sevilla and AS Roma and was known for his transfer expertise. During his two-year tenure, Monchi delivered notable signings such as Youri Tielemans and Morgan Rogers, although some acquisitions did not work out. His time at Villa was also complicated by financial restrictions, which limited the club’s transfer flexibility, culminating in a subdued 2025 summer window.

Aston Villa moved quickly to appoint a replacement, securing Roberto Olabe as the new sporting director. The 57-year-old left Real Sociedad earlier this year after seven productive years in Spain, where he was instrumental in signing key players like Martin Ødegaard and Alexander Isak. Olabe had been linked with Arsenal’s sporting director role but ultimately was not chosen.