ASTON VILLA are among Europe’s biggest net-spenders in recent years with almost £300million splashed on transfers.
In a study conducted by CIES Football Observatory, the Midlands club were found to have loaded more money into the market than Chelsea, Arsenal and Real Madrid.
The past ten transfer windows have seen Villa pay £356m for players and only earn £59m back in sales, creating a net deficit of £297m that is the seventh-highest in Europe.
Last summer, Ollie Watkins broke the club record transfer fee when arriving from Brentford for an initial £28m.
Wesley (£22m), Tyrone Mings (£20m), Bertrand Traore and Emi Martinez (both £17m), are not far behind as Dean Smith looks to establish his team in the top-flight for years to come.
When Villa were in the Championship, cash was splashed on poor signings such as Ross McCormack, Jonathan Kodjia and Aaron Tshibola.
But Smith took his boyhood club to the Premier League in 2019 and oversaw a complete squad revamp for their survival bid.
The likes of Alan Hutton, Orjan Nyland, James Chester and Glenn Whelan were jettisoned in favour of younger stars.
And because so many of their Championship promotion winners were coming towards the end of their career, very little money was recouped in the process.
Left-back Jordan Amavi fetched the highest price of the last ten windows, at £9m.
Ross McCormack is an example of Aston Villa’s wayward spending in the ChampionshipCredit: PA:Press Association
Emiliano Martinez has been a shrewd investment so far, at £17millionCredit: EPA
In fact, the Villans’ fourth-most expensive player sale remains Dwight Yorke to Manchester United… in 1998.
Fans at Villa Park will hope that does not change in the coming years with Jack Grealish and Ezri Konsa among those linked with big-money exits.
Staying up on the final day of last season, they have put together a hugely impressive run to eighth in 2020-21.
Such form will only pique the interest of rival teams looking to nab Smith’s stars.
Manchester United have been linked to Grealish in the past and are second in this table, with a £515m deficit.
Just ahead are Manchester City on £554m, thanks to splurges on the likes of Riyad Mahrez (£61m) and Benjamin Mendy (£51m).
Pep Guardiola’s side have largely avoided selling their star players but have nonetheless managed to make £329m in the last ten windows.
No club has spent more on signings than Barcelona, topping a cool £1billion since 2016, but the LaLiga giants have also sold readily – leaving a £413m deficit overall.
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That places them third ahead of Paris Saint-Germain, on minus £400m having landed Neymar and Kylian Mbappe for a combined £370m.
Inter Milan and Everton sit above Villa, before AC Milan, Chelsea and Arsenal round out the top ten.
Roman Abramovich’s big spenders made use of a transfer ban to bring through youth stars and add to a £578m sum banked in sales since 2016.
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Emi Martinez says Aston Villa’s Jack Grealish reminds him of Lionel Messi
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
