Credit: Imago

Cameron Smith

Tue 2 June 2026 10:00, UK

Aston Villa’s summer signings didn’t enjoy the best of Premier League seasons.

The year itself would be a sensational one for Unai Emery and his side, who secured a return to the Champions League, alongside a legendary Europa League win.

Though this would be done with the same squad core that has been in place for a number of years.

Bringing in six players over the course of last summer’s window, nobody in particular would stand out in claret and blue, with the select few joining on loan also failing to impress.

Looking ahead to next season, Aston Villa News takes a look at the big decisions on Emery’s hands surrounding those with an uncertain future.

Jadon Sancho misfortune continues after another lacklustre loan spell

Making the move to Manchester United from Borussia Dortmund in 2021, Jadon Sancho returned to England as a star.

However, he has failed to do the business since then, resulting in a loan spell back to the Westfalenstadion, alongside spells with both Chelsea and, most recently, Villa.

With his contract up at United this summer, he is in line for a summer exit – whether that move is to Villa Park is a completely different story.

In flashes, the Englishman showcased his supreme technical ability, but he ultimately failed to build any consistency, while his lack of physical attributes continued to cause a hindrance for him against top-flight defenders.

Failing to score a Premier League goal, he did show his creative side with two assists.

But ultimately, his spell at Villa Park marks another unsuccessful period away from Old Trafford, and it is highly unlikely that he will be wearing claret and blue again, unless a deal can be done to drastically reduce his wages.

Harvey Elliott will be glad to get away from Villa Park

Arriving at the same time as Sancho, Harvey Eliiott made the loan switch in a completely different frame of mind.

Despite his obvious talent, the versatile attacking midfielder was unable to really break through at Liverpool, resulting in Villa being the obvious step for regular football at a high level.

Instead, the two clubs found themselves in a tug-of-war throughout the season, leaving Emery reluctant to hand Elliott minutes due to a purchase clause in his contract.

Elliott did remain in high spirits throughout the year, taking to Instagram to joke about his contributions.

But, after a year in which he racked up just 110 minutes of Premier League football, he will be desperate to sort his future this summer, which will likely be away from Villa Park as a result of a difficult year.

Aston Villa fans will wonder what happened with Douglas Luiz

When Douglas Luiz left the club for Juventus in 2024, his stocks were at an all-time high.

The sensational 2023-24 season has either turned out to be a flash in the pan or his time at Juventus has completely stripped him of confidence, because either way, Luiz looks like a completely different player.

Since then, the midfielder has made just 12 starts in the Premier League this season, with seven of these coming in claret and blue.

Though, even considering the appearances, he has been unable to rack up serious mileage in terms of minutes.

His return did serve a purpose, with Villa suffering from somewhat of an injury crisis in midfield at the start of the calendar year.

However, Luiz has been unable to wind back the clock and perform at a level anywhere near his best at Villa Park.

As is the case with the aforementioned pair, it will likely end in his future being elsewhere this summer, while the Brazilian has done far from enough to force a future at Juventus.