Are Aston Villa ready for the 2026/27 Premier League season? Are they ready for a curtain-raising clash with Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Super Cup, only days away?

Ask Unai Emery and he would tell you yes, of course, smiling through gritted teeth. But the Villa have had a tough summer, injuries and player sales changing things. There is work to be done before last year's title-winning level can be rediscovered.

Numerous player sales have been made - the most notable of which being the £116m transfer of Morgan Rogers to Chelsea. Sure, the Midlands side have drafted some exciting talent in, but the volume of changes suggests we're in for a transitional spell.

Aston Villa have resolved the lion's share of their midfield issues, but in spite of Alejandro Garnacho's arrival on loan, it's hard to argue that Rogers has been perfectly replaced.

Why Aston Villa have an attacking problem

It's only natural that Aston Villa should have encountered some teething problems across their pre-season tour in the Far East, but the fact of the matter is that with Ollie Watkins absent and Rogers sold for a pretty penny, Emery has been left with a less-than-desirable crop of attackers.

That's not to say that Villa don't have options, but their recent 2-1 defeat against Bayern Munich in Hong Kong made a comment on their lack of intensity and sharpness in the final third.

Rogers, a direct runner with an edge that is hard to replace, offered something rare at Villa Park. He scored 31 goals and supplied 29 assists across two-and-a-half seasons in Emery's system, but he also. He had an almost maverick air that needed to rise to the fore after Emery and NSWE sold Jhon Duran to Al-Nassr for £71m in January 2025.

Duran. One of the more mercurial attackers in modern Premier League history. But what an unstoppable talent on his day. He really did raise the roof during his short but sweet stint with Aston Villa.

Both Rogers and Duran share a natural skill in front of goal. They are game-changers, and though Watkins remains one of the Premier League's top strikers, he needs more support than a young Garnacho who scored only once in the league with Chelsea can provide him.

Aston Villa make offer to sign Real Madrid star

With Aston Villa stepping back into the Champions League following triumph in the Europa League, Emery would be forgiven for aiming for the stars.

According to Fabrizio Romano, Aston Villa are emerging as contenders in the race to sign Endrick from Real Madrid this summer, though in all probability, it would be a season-long loan.

Endrick faces increasing competition for a place in the team at Madrid and thus, the player "will talk to his agents" about a move away this summer. Romano further notes that both Roma and Aston Villa are "very interested" in prising the player away from the Spanish capital.

Emery has been happy to organise short stays before - look at Marcus Rashford, Marco Asensio and Harvey Elliott - and there's a sense that Endrick could take the cake when making a lasting impact, one of the most exciting forwards in world football.

A versatile and prolific forward, Endrick is endowed with the powerful, direct running style of Rogers, but he also boasts a maverick edge that could see him rekindle the spirit of Duran at Villa Park. Carlo Ancelotti has already hailed him as a "spectacular" prospect, boasting "off the charts" accuracy in front of goal.

With opportunities likely to be few and far between with Los Blancos over the coming year, why shouldn't the 20-year-old move to England for the coming year and find his footing at a team such as Villa?

He is the real deal, simply waiting for his moment to blossom into a world-class talent. Endrick showed on loan with Lyon last season that he can produce show-stopping moments and contribute in front of goal with crisp consistency.

To have nearly won five duels per game in Ligue 1 across 16 matches over the second half of the 2025/26 season makes a strong comment on Endrick's potential, not just as an outlet at the end of sweeping transitions, but a leading contributor in the build-up, a runner and physical force who would certainly ease the pain of Rogers' sale to Stamford Bridge.

Endrick has yet to nail down a starting berth at Real Madrid, and that doesn't look like it's going to change over the coming campaign. Jose Mourinho's side are enjoying a trigger-happy transfer window.

Aston Villa developed Duran and Rogers into superstars. It's hardly out of the question that they could do the same with Brazil's most exciting up-and-coming forward.