Exclusive: Transfer guru Monchi aiming for Champions League and Premier League trophies at Aston Villa

Aston Villa’s president of football operations, Monchi, is aiming to win the Champions League and Premier League with his new club.

The Spaniard was Sevilla’s director of football from 2000 until the summer of this year, with a brief period in a similar role at Roma.

He made his name for regularly identifying some of the best young talent around the world, such as Adriano, Dani Alves, Julio Baptista, Federico Fazio, Seydou Keita and Ivan Rakitic, while promoting young players to the first team, including Diego Capel, Alberto Moreno, Jesus Navas, Antonio Puerta, Sergio Ramos, Jose Antonio Reyes and others, allowing the club to regularly turn a profit in the transfer market.

With Aston Villa looking to establish themselves towards the top end of the table in the Premier League, and after appointing Unai Emery as manager, they brought in his former Sevilla colleague to oversee transfers.

Speaking to TNT Sports, Monchi was asked about the difference in the challenge offered by Sevilla.

He said: “Well, different, obviously. It's another country, another culture, another language. But the standard of football is very similar.

“When I decided I was going to leave Sevilla, the idea was to have a little down time, but when the Aston Villa role materialised, that changed everything.

“I worked with Unai in Seville for almost four years. Four magnificent years, where we won three Europa League titles. We've developed a great relationship, both professional and personal.

“Our goal is the same. Between us, we know exactly what we want. We are all on the same page, and we are all very happy to be working again with Unai because I knew his level of professionalism, and he is one of the best coaches in the world.

“When we started in Seville in 2000, we were at a much lower standard and at a much earlier stage in the project. I think Aston Villa are on a different path. The objective is to get ourselves closer to the big six or seven because Newcastle are now part of that group.”

Monchi described his ambitions for the club, and he is hoping to bring major trophies to Villa Park.

He continued: “We want to elevate Aston Villa. We can't forget they've won the Premier League and the Champions League before.

“They have a celebrated history, this is the motivation, and the objective doesn't change.

“It's not easy because the biggest teams in English football have already been down this road and are ahead of us. Their status is already established.”

Given the history he shares with Emery in La Liga, he pointed to the teamwork going on in the background.

“Everyone in the organisation are all heading in the same direction, which makes it much easier to obtain your goals,” he explained. “The owners are fully behind the project, and it is an ambitious one. A project to really get the Aston Villa fans excited.

“I would like to impart my philosophy on a grander scale, with the scouts, the analysts, but I've not had the time to sit with them yet. Now I want to convey my philosophy to both these departments.

“My hope is that the work we are doing behind the scenes pays off on the pitch.”

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