Espanyol sporting director Monchi has called on Spanish clubs to pay far greater attention to England's Championship, describing the competition as one of football's most underrated talent pools and a strategic market that clubs like his can exploit despite financial constraints.

A competition that deserves more respect

"I think the Championship is one of the least understood competitions," Monchi told BBC Sport. "Having lived in England for two years and worked with Aston Villa, and now continuing to follow the competition because of Burnley, I can say that there are some very good players there."

Monchi, 57, returned to Spain after serving as president of football operations at Aston Villa, where he previously held sporting director roles at Sevilla and Roma. Espanyol — one of Spain's oldest clubs, founded in 1900 and finishing 11th in La Liga last season — share an ownership group, led by Alan Pace, with Burnley, giving Monchi a direct and continuing connection to the English second tier.

He points to Morgan Rogers as a prime example of the Championship's hidden value. Rogers moved from Middlesbrough to Aston Villa in 2024 after a spell in the second tier, earned international recognition with England, and this summer completed a £117 million transfer to Chelsea. "That is just one example, but I could give many more," Monchi said.

Espanyol have already acted on this conviction. Tyrhys Dolan arrived from Blackburn Rovers in July 2025 after five seasons in the Championship, while Quilindschy Hartman — a Netherlands international — joined on loan from Burnley.

Competing smarter, not richer

For Espanyol, the Championship represents a deliberate response to financial reality. Spanish clubs operate under La Liga's squad-cost limits, while Premier League clubs command far greater spending power. Monchi believes clubs in Espanyol's position must identify overlooked markets to close that gap.

"We cannot do everything we would like to do, but we do what we can," he said. "It is true that we are at a disadvantage compared with some Spanish clubs, and particularly compared with clubs in England, Italy or Germany. However, we have to be imaginative, work hard and look for alternatives."

"I cannot avoid keeping an eye on the UK," he added.

What Aston Villa taught him

Monchi's stint at Aston Villa also reshaped how he thinks a modern club should be run. He was particularly struck by the clear separation between the sporting and commercial departments, and by the quality of relationships between ownership, staff, and supporters.

"There was a very clear distinction between the business side and the sporting side," he said. "There was very good synergy throughout the club, a strong relationship with the ownership and a close connection with the fans."

His standout moment came in his first season, 2023-24, when Villa secured UEFA Champions League qualification for the first time in roughly 40 years. Villa also reached the semi-finals of the Conference League that campaign, before going on to reach the FA Cup semi-finals and UEFA Champions League quarter-finals the following year.

Data and AI reshaping recruitment

Over more than 25 years as a sporting director, Monchi says the most transformative shift in player recruitment has been the rise of data and artificial intelligence. "We no longer rely solely on scouting reports and subjective assessments, but also on the support provided by big data, artificial intelligence and data analysis in general," he said.

At Espanyol, that means layering data-driven analysis over the market knowledge he has built across careers in Spain, Italy, and England — with the goal of finding players who can sharpen the club's competitiveness and gradually erode the financial advantage of wealthier rivals.

Espanyol's own reference point

Monchi is equally clear that Espanyol should not define themselves in relation to their city rivals Barcelona. "Barcelona are a major club and an important team, but I do not think Espanyol's growth should be measured against Barcelona," he said. "Espanyol's reference point has to be Espanyol itself."

His ambition is to restore the club to the standing their 125-year history suggests they once occupied — among Spain's most important clubs. In the short term, the target is simply to improve on last season's 11th-place La Liga finish and consolidate the project, one step at a time.