Aston Villa’s 10 most expensive transfers of all time

Carlo Garganese

• Updated: 9 Sep 2024 13:17 CDT
• 5 min read

Aston Villa enjoyed a big transfer window in the summer of 20224, landing two massive deals off the back of their first qualification for the Champions League.

Two of Villa's three most expensive signings ever were completed during that period, with Unai Emery seeking to build a team that can challenge at the top end of the Premier League table for many years.

Below, FootballTransfers have listed Aston Villa's 10 most expensive signings ever.

10. Danny Ings - €29.4m (from Southampton, 2021)

Following the departure of Jack Grealish to Man City in the summer of 2021, Villa went on a spending spree to bolster their attacking options and that included the arrival of Southampton striker Danny Ings.

Following a spell on the south coast which saw the England striker bag 46 goals in 100 games for the Saints, Ings was hoping to carry on his impressive Premier League record at Villa Park.

However, he lasted just 18 months before being sold on to West Ham in January 2023.

9. Lucas Digne - €30m (from Everton, 2022)

In the 2022 January transfer window, Aston Villa took advantage of Lucas Digne's breakdown in relations with Everton to swoop and sign the French full-back for €30m.

Digne had fallen out with Everton boss Rafa Benitez, who was happy to let the player move on to pastures new despite him being one of the club's better performers over the previous couple of years.

The arrival of Alex Moreno in January 2023 hampered Digne's game time at Aston Villa, however.

8. Diego Carlos - €31m (from Sevilla, 2022)

Aston Villa brought one of La Liga's best defenders to Villa Park when they signed Sevilla's Diego Carlos in 2022, securing his services for €31m.

However, the Brazilian suffered a devastating Achilles injury in just his second game for the club, ruling him out for the entirety of his debut season.

7. Leon Bailey - €32m (from Leverkusen, 2021)

Having been linked with a move to the Premier League for a number of years, Leon Bailey finally made his move from Germany to England in the summer of 2021. However, rather than arriving at a Manchester United or a Liverpool, he instead signed for Villa.

The Jamaican winger was a tremendous talent in the Bundesliga for a number of years, but he has been unable to build on that form in the Premier League.

6. Pau Torres - €33m (from Villarreal, 2023)

Spanish coach Unai Emery decided to raid his former club Villarreal by bringing one of his favourite players to Villa Park in the summer of 2023.

Pau Torres joined the Villains for €33m after helping Villarreal win the 2021 Europa League. His passing was seen as a major plus by Emery, who wanted to add that attribute to his backline at Aston Villa.

Torres left Villarreal having made 173 appearances for the club.

5. Ollie Watkins - €34m (from Brentford, 2020)

Signed in 2020 by his former Brentford manager at Dean Smith, Ollie Watkins was undoubtedly a signing with a huge amount of risk due to the fact that he was Villa's club record signing at the time.

However, the English striker alleviated any fears Villa fans may have had about him being a dud when he bagged no less than 14 goals and five assists in his first Premier League season with the club.

He is now an England regular and is one of the best strikers in the Premier League.

4. Emiliano Buendia - €38.4m (from Norwich, 2021)

If Watkins was once considered a risky move then Emiliano Buendia was undoubtedly an even bigger one, when the Argentina winger was plucked from Norwich’s Championship-winning side and tasked with being the main replacement for Grealish.

After a remarkable record of 15 goals and 17 assists in a single Championship season, Buendia naturally struggled to replicate that form at his new club but he did eventually acclimatise to life at Villa Park well enough, yet justifying that price tag is a different beast altogether.

He suffered an ACL injury in 2023, which hampered the progress he had made under Emery.

3. Ian Maatsen - €44.5m (from Chelsea, 2024)

The 2024 summer transfer window was marked by some inflated moves due to the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) forcing clubs to get creative in order to comply with these regulations.

Omari Kellyman left Villa to sign for Chelsea for €22.5m in one of these transfers, with Maatsen travelling back in the other direction for €44.5m.

The Dutchman had just helped Dortmund to the Champions League final during a six-month loan, yet the fee looks big for a relatively untested left-back.

2. Moussa Diaby - €55m (from Bayer Leverkusen, 2023)

Villa spent big in the summer of 2023 and Pau Torres wasn't the only big-money arrival. France international Moussa Diaby, often linked with the likes of Arsenal and Newcastle, joined the Birmingham-based club after they won a bidding war with Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr.

Diaby cost €55m, but his final two seasons at Bayer Leverkusen - in which he scored 31 goals and provided 25 assists, which hinting that it could be a bargain deal.

Diaby, though, spent just one season at Villa, scoring 10 and creating nine in 54 appearances before he was eventually lured to Saudi Arabia via Al-Ittihad, who spent €60m on him.

1. Amadou Onana - €59.4m (from Everton, 2024)

Onana had been linked to Manchester United but eventually moved to Villa in a club-record deal worth close to €60m.

The midfielder immediately set about proving his worth by scoring two goals in his first three Premier League matches.

If he can maintain this level, he can become a Villa legend.

The 10 most expensive Aston Villa signings of all time

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