Aston Villa have made two important signings that have become the club-record transfers.
Aston Villa’s transfer business is still far from over. However, they have already set notable records for both departures and arrivals. The Lions sold Morgan Rogers to Chelsea for a £117 million transfer fee, breaking the club’s previous record set by Jack Grealish’s £100 million move in 2021. Rogers’ transfers also became the most expensive sale of a British player in Premier League history.
As for arrivals, Villa soon completed a record signing by hijacking Johan Manzambi’s move to Newcastle United. They paid Freiburg £52 million to secure the transfer of the 20-year-old versatile midfielder.
Not long afterwards, Unai Emery’s side also signed Joao Gomes from Wolverhampton Wanderers for £34 million. That deal became the fifth-most expensive signing in the club’s history. Both Manzambi and Gomes would be expected to prove their worth in the upcoming season, considering how much Villa have to pay for their move. So, who are the remaining three players in Aston Villa’s top five record signings?
Onana held the record as Aston Villa’s most expensive signing before the arrival of Manzambi. The Belgian international joined from Everton in the summer of 2024 for a transfer fee of £50 million.
He spent two seasons with the Toffees, scoring four goals and providing four assists in 72 appearances. The defensive midfielder, who is currently suffering from the ACL injury during his nation’s campaign in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, has made 72 appearances under Unai Emery, scoring seven goals. Onana has become a key figure in Villa’s midfield. Sadly, his current injury would probably force him on the sideline for around nine months till next year.
Third on the list is left-back Ian Maatsen. He also joined the West Midlands side from Chelsea in the summer of 2024 for a fee of £37.5 million. However, Maatsen spent much of his Chelsea career out on loan. He had spells at Charlton Athletic, Coventry City, Burnley and Borussia Dortmund.
It was his time with the Bundesliga giants that caught Emery’s attention. He helped Dortmund reach the 2023/24 Champions League final, registering three goals and two assists in 23 appearances.
Since joining the Clarets and Blue, Maatsen has made 89 appearances, scored three goals and provided four assists. However, the Dutch left-back, who has only one senior international cap, has struggled for consistency. Last season, he fell behind Lucas Digne in the pecking order.
Next on the list is French winger Moussa Diaby. He was signed from Bayer Leverkusen for an initial transfer fee of £34.2 million. He had been one of Die Werkself’s key players, helping them reach the DFB-Pokal final in 2020 and the Europa League semi-finals in 2023. He registered 49 goals and 47 assists in 172 appearances.
However, Diaby spent only one season in the West Midlands. He enjoyed a productive campaign, making 54 appearances and contributing 10 goals and 11 assists in all competitions, including in the UEFA Conference League when Villa advanced to the semifinal. The Paris-born winger was eventually sold to Saudi Pro League side Al Ittihad for £51.3 million in the summer of 2024.
The post Aston Villa top five most expensive signings in history appeared first on AVillaFan.com – Aston Villa Fan Site.
