Meet ‘magic’ Monchi, the man behind Aston Villa’s stunning transfers for Rashford and Asensio… who Man Utd let slip away

HE is the King Midas of the market whose golden touch has stacked up the silverware.

The footballing master fixer who sealed two of the most eye-catching transfers in the window… neither of which came with a fee.

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If Marcus Rashford’s loan move to Aston Villa was top of the bill, tempting three-time Champions League winner Marco Asensio from PSG came a close second.

Yet for Villa's under-stated president of football operations Monchi, just the latest two additions in over 20 years of sparkling signings.

And after Rashford’s arrival from Manchester United, you could not escape the irony of his key role in the deal.

The Spaniard’s partnership with sporting director Damian Vidagany and boss Unai Emery gives Villa a transfer committee to rival any in the Premier League.

But in the eyes of Monchi’s one-time wingman, United missed a trick 18 months ago when they were hunting a front man to get their recruitment back on track.

Highly-respected Spanish coach Antonio Fernandez spent six years alongside Monchi at Sevilla, as they went from the second tier to La Liga regulars and Europa League kings.

It was a trophy they won SEVEN times in his days at the club – three with Emery in charge – plus another couple of Copa del Rey triumphs.

There was also a near £200million transfer profit after Monchi unearthed the likes of Dani Alves and Ivan Rakitic among a host of uncut diamonds that made Sevilla a fortune.

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Fernandez insisted: “People outside Spain didn’t really notice Sevilla until Diego Maradona went there in 1992.

“But it was Monchi who was responsible for keeping them at the top and making sure they regularly rubbed shoulders with the powerhouses.

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“He waved his magic wand every year and made incredible signings which generated huge money. Men like Alves for 800,000 Euros, who was sold for £24milllion.

“The thing is, he looks in places where not many do and once he identifies his target, he studies the player in an obsessive way.

“He has a clinical eye and that is why he hardly makes a mistake with his signings. I always knew he would be a huge success in England. He could fit in any club in the world.“

Monchi was anything but a superstar in nine years as Sevilla keeper, with the bulk of them spent as back-up to Juan Carlos Unzue.

Yet a playing career in the shadows became a management one in the brightest of spotlights as scout, spotter and sealer of deals.

Emery tempted Monchi to rejoin him in June 2023, and he has been a key figure in the signing of, among others, Pau Torres, Morgan Rogers and Donyell Malen.

Fernandez added: “Over the years Monchi has been a player, a scout, a technical director and a director, so he sees it from every angle.

“He is a specialist in recruitment because he has filled so many positions…that’s what has helped make him the best operator in the business.”

Monchi's career in football

MONCHI enjoyed a nine-year top-level playing career as a goalkeeper for Sevilla.

He featured 85 times as the club’s No2 before retiring in 1999.

Monchi then became Sevilla’s Sporting Director a year later and transformed the club’s fortunes in LaLiga.

The Spaniard eventually left for Roma in 2017.

But his time in Italy was not a success and Monchi returned to Sevilla two years later.

His second spell there as Sporting Director was not as successful.

And Monchi decided to link up with Unai Emery once again when Aston Villa came calling in 2023.

Playing career

• Position: Goalkeeper

• Sevilla B, 1988-1990: 41 games, 0 goals

• Sevilla, 1990-1999: 85 games, 0 goals

Post-playing career

• Sporting Director, Sevilla: 2000-2017

• Sporting Director, Roma: 2017-2019

• Sporting Director, Sevilla: 2019-2023

• President of Football Operations, Aston Villa: 2023-Present

Today Villa face Tottenham, where former Villa sporting director Johan Lange is now technical director, after leaving the Midlands club in 2023.

And the two clubs are also rivals in an off-pitch power struggle.

When Lange was appointed at Villa in 2020, shortly after Dean Smith’s side had narrowly escaped immediate relegation from the Premier League, the club said: “We will not be satisfied until we achieve our goal of bringing sustainable success to Aston Villa at the top tier of European football.”

The fact that Villa are currently closer to achieving that goal than Spurs owes quite a bit to Lange.

The Dane oversaw the signing of players like Ollie Watkins, Emi Martinez, Matty Cash and Jhon Duran.

The January sale of Duran to Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr for £70m is a big reason why Monchi had room for manoeuvre in the winter window.

But it was also a consequence of the Premier League’s financial regulations as Villa strive to find ways to avoid breaching Profit and Sustainability Rules.

Villa co-owner Nassef Sawiris slammed PSR last summer, saying: “Some of the rules have actually resulted in cementing the status quo more than creating upward mobility and fluidity.

Monchi's best signings

Sevilla

• Sergio Ramos

• Jesus Navas

• Jose Antonio Reyes

• Dani Alves

• Julio Baptista

• Ivan Rakitic

Roma

• Lorenzo Pellegrini

• Bryan Cristante

• Justin Kluivert

• Nicolo Zaniolo

• Patrik Schick

• Cengiz Under

Aston Villa

• Morgan Rogers

• Pau Torres

• Youri Tielemans

• Amadou Onana

• Marcus Rashford

• Marco Asensio

“The rules do not make sense and are not good for football.”

Like the billionaire owners of Manchester City, Newcastle and Nottingham Forest, Egyptian magnate Sawiris resents not having the same freedom to invest in Villa as he has in his other businesses.

Tottenham, Arsenal and Liverpool form another PL power bloc which is just as motivated by self-interest.

They want rules that will not only stop state-owned City and Newcastle from spending so much that they disappear into the sunset, but also prevent the likes of Villa from permanently ejecting them from the Champions League places.

Manchester United and Chelsea are not fully committed to either side and their owners’ attitude will be key as the PL tries to agree new financial regulations, based on squad cost rules (SCR) rather than PSR’s maximum losses, in time for next season.

Critics reckon the SCR regime - which is going through a dummy run this season - will make life even harder for upwardly-mobile clubs like Villa than PSR.

Tottenham’s 2023/4 income of £520m was double Villa’s and the Spurs wage bill was 42 per cent of turnover, compared to 96 per cent at Villa.

Which is why it is easy to believe rumours that Villa will take a strong position when the 20 clubs discuss SCR at next week’s meeting.

This afternoon’s FA Cup clash is a battle in a much bigger war.

While executives square up off the field, Monchi’s job is to find the best possible players to play on it - and to generate the transfer profits that will plug the financial gap between Villa and the Establishment.