Micah Richards blasts spending rules as Unai Emery, Aston Villa 'disrespect' claim made
Micah Richards has gone to bat for Aston Villa manager Unai Emery.
The Spaniard has seen his history-making 2025-26 torn apart this summer.
Ezri Konsa, Morgan Rogers, Lucas Digne and Youri Tielemans are all hugely important players to lose.
Meanwhile, Emery was also without Ollie Watkins and Emi Martinez for the 4-0 defeat to Brighton, with both players strongly expected to leave before the deadline.
It's a situation that feels impossible for Villa to be in off the back of one of the most successful campaigns in their modern history.
And ex-Villa defender Richards is far from pleased with how Emery has been treated at Villa Park this summer.
What did Micah Richards say about Unai Emery and Aston Villa?
Villa have been battling to stay within the financial laws of the Premier League and UEFA competitions for a number of years now.
However, some fans and pundits alike argue that said financial rules are somewhat forcing Villa to become more of a selling club.
For a side that hasn't failed to finish outside the top seven in the Premier League over the last four seasons, with two of those seeing top four finishes, can that be right?
Speaking via Sky Sports on Sunday, Richards strongly argues that it's not.
"This manager (Emery) deserves a lot more. He deserves respect," Richards said.
"What he's done for Aston Villa has been absolutely brilliant. All the good times he's brought to that club.
"And for him to be without Konsa, Digne, Tielemans, Rogers and Watkins today (Sunday), that's not good enough.
"It says something internally at the club, with PSR, having all this success and not being able to spend money? It's not right.
"It doesn't feel right. Watkins shouldn't want to be leaving Aston Villa because the club is in a really good position."
Standing alongside Richards on Sky Sports punditry duties was Daniel Sturridge, and even the ex-West Brom striker has stuck up for Emery.
Why Daniel Sturridge thinks Watkins could be forcing Villa exit
Watkins is reportedly close to joining Saudi Arabian side Al Hilal, as he potentially looks for one final big contract in his career.
However, when quizzed about the striker's situation on Sunday, Emery responded by saying: "Ask him. I only can answer it by silence."
Speaking on the situation to Sky Sports, Sturridge feels as though this was the Villa boss clearly marking out who wants this transfer to go through.
"That doesn't sound good at all, does it? Let's be real," Sturridge said in reference to Emery's aforementioned response.
"He (Emery) seemed like he was really, really frustrated, and almost as if that move is out of his control in a sense.
"But saying 'ask him' points the finger towards maybe Watkins forcing a move."
Whatever the case may be with Watkins in this regard, it's impossible not to feel incredibly sorry for Emery this summer.
This felt like a window in which Villa could really start building a team that could compete for silverware for many years to come.
They may still do that, of course, but with so many star players now taken from them, a rebuilding job shouldn't have been Villa's summer transfer window.