Aston Villa star ‘desperate to leave’ amid Unai Emery realisation

Unai Emery may have another area to address in upcoming recruitment meetings as left-back Alex Moreno wants to end his Villa Park stay after just 18 months, according to reports in Spain.

The 31-year-old, signed for £13.3 million from Real Betis in January 2023, is said to have his eyes set on a return to his home nation. The season just gone was an incredible one for Villa as they finished fourth and qualified for next campaign’s Champions League, but it was a frustrating period for Moreno as he saw a dramatic decrease in game time.

Opportunities were few and far between as Lucas Digne locked down his starting place on the left side of defence, even in the Europa Conference League. Injuries crept in for Moreno, too, stopping him from building any momentum to challenge Digne for a spot in Emery’s starting XIs.

Moreno actually played more Premier League minutes during his first season in England despite joining halfway through it. The former Rayo Vallecano man racked up 1,334 minutes in 2022/23 but just 1,027 in 2023/24. An element of homesickness could also be a factor.

Spanish outlets Estadio Deportivo and COPE Sevilla have both reported Moreno is eager to return to Betis as soon as possible. It’s claimed he’s so keen to go back to La Liga that he’s happy to dramatically reduce his wages — a big career call.

All parties could be satisfied by Moreno sale

It’s a deal that could perhaps make sense for Villa as well as the player as funds desperately need to be raised before the end of June.

Sales are necessary as the Villans are walking a fine line with the Premier League’s strict profit and sustainability rules. Emery also won’t want to keep any players around that aren’t committed to his ambitious project.