Paul Merson has delivered a stark warning that Unai Emery may not remain at Aston Villa much longer, following a catastrophic start to the Premier League season that saw the club lose 4-0 to Brighton & Hove Albion — a scoreline that was already in place before the half-hour mark.

Writing in his Sky Sports column, the former Villa man pulled no punches in his assessment of a club he believes has dismantled a squad that, only months ago, qualified for the UEFA Champions League and won a European trophy.

A squad stripped to the bone

Villa's summer saw the departures of Ezri Konsa, Youri Tielemans, and Morgan Rogers — three players Merson describes as forming the spine of the side. The results, he argues, were entirely predictable.

"You sell all your best players, what do you expect?" Merson wrote. "I didn't expect them to be 4-0 down in 30 minutes, but I didn't expect them to beat Brighton."

Merson was particularly scathing about the contract structure that allowed Tielemans to leave for £36 million. He argued that in the current transfer market, clubs fighting against relegation routinely spend £35 million on players, making the clause a damaging piece of business for a club with Champions League ambitions.

The Konsa sale drew similar criticism. An international centre-back fresh from the World Cup departing for £55 million struck Merson as deeply shortsighted for a club seeking to build on its European credentials.

Emery's future in doubt

Merson made clear he cannot see Emery tolerating this environment for long. The Spanish coach guided Villa to fourth place and European glory, yet now finds himself with a depleted squad and a heavy opening defeat.

"I don't see Emery hanging around for long if things continue like this," Merson wrote. "We're talking about one of the top managers in the game, and everyone seems to be leaving him left, right and centre."

Merson drew a pointed comparison with Tottenham Hotspur, who won a European trophy before finishing 17th the following season. He stressed that Emery achieved the same continental success while guiding Villa to fourth — and that the club's current direction risks squandering that foundation entirely.

Watkins absence prompts sharp rebuke

Striker Ollie Watkins was absent from the Brighton defeat amid reported interest from Saudi Arabia, and Merson had little sympathy for the situation if the player was fit and chose not to feature.

"If it's true that Ollie Watkins was fit to play in that Brighton game and he didn't make himself available, then that's disgusting at the highest level," he wrote.

Merson acknowledged that significant Saudi Arabian money would be difficult for any player to ignore, particularly at this stage of Watkins' career. But he insisted that the supporters filling the Holte End deserve more — and that a player whose profession is simply to turn up and play has an obligation to do exactly that.

"He should come and apologise," Merson added. "If you're Aston Villa, you should say to him: 'I'm not paying you this week'. Because your job literally is to turn up at a weekend and play a football match."

Goalkeeper Emi Martinez was also absent for the Brighton fixture, compounding what Merson described as a grim picture for a club he cares deeply about. Despite his dire assessment, he stopped short of predicting relegation — but expressed serious doubt that Villa can finish in the top half of the Premier League table even with Emery at the helm.