Aston Villa add Mbaye and Harwood-Bellis on deadline day

Aston Villa completed two more significant pieces of business on deadline day, bringing in Ibrahim Mbaye and Taylor Harwood-Bellis as Unai Emery expressed confidence that the club’s sweeping summer rebuild can keep them competitive at the top end of the game.

The arrivals came at the end of a dramatic window for Villa, who have reshaped their squad extensively after a period of notable success. Emery’s side have qualified for the Champions League in two of the past three seasons and also ended a long wait for major silverware by winning the Europa League. Even so, the new Premier League campaign has opened with two defeats, adding extra scrutiny to the scale of the changes at Villa Park.

Villa continue major squad rebuild

Mbaye, an 18-year-old winger, joined from Paris Saint-Germain in a deal worth £47m, while Harwood-Bellis arrived from Southampton for £25m. They became Villa’s ninth and 10th signings of the summer, underlining the extent of the club’s overhaul.

That recruitment drive has been funded by substantial outgoing business. Villa raised more than £300m through the sales of nine players, with several important members of the side that won the Europa League among those to leave. Morgan Rogers, Ollie Watkins, Ezri Konsa, Youri Tielemans, Lucas Digne and Emiliano Martínez were all among the recent departures, with Rogers and Martínez moving to Chelsea.

Watkins’s move to Al-Hilal prompted Villa to bring in Nicolas Jackson for an initial £47.5m, a fee that could rise to a club-record £65m. Earlier in the window, Villa also signed Johan Manzambi from Freiburg for a club-record £52m, although the Switzerland midfielder is still waiting for his debut as he recovers from a knee injury sustained at the World Cup.

Emery backs Villa’s transfer strategy

Despite the difficult start to the league season, Emery struck a positive note after the home defeat by Arsenal, insisting Villa were satisfied with how they had finished the window.

“We are happy how we are closing the transfer window,” said Villa’s manager. “We are not regretting anything and the players who are joining are players that should be enough to rebuild the team with the structure we want. I think we replaced the players as we planned.”

Those comments reflected a club determined to frame this summer not as a retreat, but as a reset. Villa have lost proven Premier League and European performers, but the recruitment has clearly been aimed at refreshing the squad with younger options and high-value additions.

Suzuki embraces Martínez challenge

One of those new faces, goalkeeper Zion Suzuki, made his Villa debut against Arsenal after arriving from Parma for £30m. The 24-year-old acknowledged the scale of the task in following Martínez but said he welcomed the opportunity.

“It was my priority to play games so that is why I made the decision and I played in Belgium for one year, in Parma for two years,” said Suzuki. “In the end I am here and playing for Villa. I just wanted to come here for this club. There are so many expectations. It is not easy to play after [Martínez] but I want to help the team and be like him.

“It was very important to play in Serie A for two years and now I am confident. I made good steps and now I am here to play for the club. I want to enjoy this moment and help the team. I am really looking forward to [playing in] the Champions League but before that, I want a first Premier League win to get some momentum.”

His comments offered a glimpse into Villa’s wider mood: ambition remains high, but there is also an acceptance that the new group will need time to settle.

Newcastle land Fernandez-Pardo

Elsewhere, Newcastle completed the signing of Matias Fernandez-Pardo from Lille in what the club viewed as a major late-window success. The Belgium forward joined for £51m and became Newcastle’s eighth signing of the summer.

The move capped what was described as a transformational window at St James’ Park. Newcastle had targeted Fernandez-Pardo as early as May and remained in contact throughout the summer before finally securing the deal in the closing hours.

“Matias is a strong example of how a transfer window can unfold with twists and turns along the way,” said Newcastle sporting director Ross Wilson. “Back in May he was our top target and we always remained engaged with him. Now at the end of the window he becomes our eighth addition to a refreshed Newcastle United and we are excited to welcome him.”

Fernandez-Pardo’s versatility across the front line appears to have been central to Newcastle’s persistence, with the 21-year-old capable of operating as a No 10, a No 9 or from the left.