Chelsea are closing in on Austin MacPhee, widely regarded as one of the Premier League’s leading set-piece specialists, after triggering a release clause in his Aston Villa contract.

MacPhee reportedly said goodbye to Villa players and staff on July 24, bringing an end to a five-season spell in which he helped turn the club’s dead-ball situations into a consistent competitive weapon. If completed, the move would place MacPhee in Xabi Alonso’s coaching staff at Stamford Bridge.

MacPhee’s role at Aston Villa

MacPhee joined Aston Villa in August 2021 and spent five years working on the club’s set-piece structure, helping convert corners, free kicks and other dead-ball situations into more reliable scoring opportunities.

Specialist set-piece coaches have become increasingly important in elite football because dead-ball phases require detailed planning, repeatable movement patterns and close coordination between analysts, coaches and players. That context helps explain why clubs now treat experienced staff in this area as valuable competitive assets rather than peripheral backroom figures.

Before Chelsea’s move, MacPhee had also attracted interest from another Premier League club and from Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia. Villa attempted to retain him but were unable to prevent his departure once the release clause was activated.

Born on October 11, 1979, MacPhee has also served as assistant head coach of the Portugal national team since February 2025. His work across both club and international football has added to his profile as a specialist coach whose role extends beyond one tactical area.

Chelsea’s gain and Villa’s loss

For Aston Villa, MacPhee’s exit is regarded as a significant blow. Replacing a coach who has spent half a decade developing routines and building working relationships with players is not equivalent to replacing a standard assistant, with much of the accumulated institutional knowledge leaving with him.

The move also carries competitive implications for Villa because MacPhee is set to join a direct Premier League rival through a release clause. His departure may prompt further scrutiny of the club’s backroom staff contracts and compensation structure, while Villa’s next step will be finding a replacement capable of maintaining continuity in an area that has been embedded into the team’s preparation.

No official announcement has been issued yet, but expectations across the industry are that confirmation is imminent.