Aston Villa 2025-26 preview: Three players to watch

It would be harsh in the extreme to say the Belgium international had a bad first season at Villa after joining from Everton in a club record £50million deal.

But for a player who cost so much money, in the long-term Villa would like to see more consistency.

In Onana’s defence, he was not helped by a series of relatively small yet frustrating injuries which hampered his progress.

There were enough strong performances to suggest he can eventually justify the large transfer fee and his countryman, Youri Tielemans, who swept the boards at the end of season awards after a superb follow-up to a solid if unspectacular debut campaign of his own, provides obvious inspiration.

Pau Torres

The Spain international, so impressive in his first season at Villa, heads into his third Premier League campaign with a little bit to prove.

Torres was part of a Villa defence which struggled to keep clean sheets during the first half of last season and question marks over his physicality, in the background ever since his £31million move from Villarreal two summers ago, have never quite been put to bed.

An absence of more than two months with a foot injury coincided with Villa’s defence improving, following the return of Tyrone Mings. Unai Emery’s decision to favour Torres over Mings in the FA Cup semi-final defeat to Crystal Palace and the last day implosion at Manchester United were deserving of particular scrutiny.

Morgan Rogers

Though he might have only just turned 23 last weekend, the Halesowen-born forward is rapidly becoming the most important member of Villa’s squad.

His 2024-25 season was quite simply sensational, featuring 14 goals, 15 assists, a Champions League hat-trick and a nomination for the PFA young player of the year prize.

All eyes are on how he follows it up, now with far more expectation on his shoulders than 12 months ago.

The exit of loan star Marco Asensio should allow Rogers, far less effective in wide positions during the closing weeks of the campaign, to move back into a central role.