Aston Villa’s 10 most expensive transfers of all time

7 Feb 2022 14:00 GMT |
Updated: 18 Sept 2026 16:12 BST |
6 min read

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Aston Villa have re-established themselves as European regulars since the appointment of Unai Emery and the threat of Championship football now seems like a distant memory.

A number of big-money signings have been finalised in order to achieve this status, and although the Birmingham-based outfit are far from the biggest spenders in the English top flight, they have splashed the cash in recent years.

Below, FootballTransfers runs through Aston Villa’s 10 most expensive signings ever.

10. Pau Torres – €33m (from Villarreal, 2023)

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, with his passing seen as a major attribute by Emery, who wanted to add that attribute to his backline at Aston Villa.

Torres quickly became a starter at Villa Park, forming an eye-catching defensive partnership with Ezri Konsa. He played a pivotal role as Villa won the 2025 Europa League.

9. Ollie Watkins – €34m (from Brentford, 2020)

Signed in 2020 by his former Brentford manager 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.

After six years and 108 goals for Villa, Watkins left as a modern-day legend to join Al-Hilal in 2026, although his reputation amongst the club’s fanbase was undoubtedly harmed by his surprise exit.

8. 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 Jack 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 was a different beast altogether.

He suffered an ACL injury in 2023, which hampered the progress he had made under Emery. He was loaned out to Bayer Leverkusen in January 2025, before returning to play a key role at Villa Park.

7. Joao Gomes – €40m (from Wolves, 2026)

After selling Youri Tielemans to Manchester United, Villa needed an adequate replacement and they acted swiftly by finalising a €40m deal for Joao Gomes.

The Brazil midfielder was eager to leave Wolves following their relegation to the Championship and the Midlands outfit were willing to agree a sale in order to raise transfer funds.

Gomes was sent off on his Premier League debut for Villa.

6. 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 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 was big for a relatively untested left-back.

5. 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 – hinted that it could be a bargain deal.

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

4. Ibrahim Mbaye – €55m (from PSG, 2026)

Ibrahim Mbaye was PSG’s fifth-choice winger as they won back-to-back Champions League titles and he pushed to leave the club in 2026.

The Parisians were willing to sanction a sale after finalising deals for Maghnes Akliouche, Mika Godts and Ferran Torres, and a host of Premier League clubs were understood to be interested.

It was Villa who eventually agreed a deal, however, with the Senegal attacker costing €55m despite only scoring four senior goals for PSG.

3. Nicolas Jackson – €55.5m (from Chelsea, 2026)

Nicolas Jackson was heavily linked with a move to Aston Villa in 2025, after a bust-up with then Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca, but they were unable to finalise a permanent deal with the Blues.

Instead, the Senegal international joined Bayern Munich on loan and after impressing in Germany, many tipped him to play a role at Stamford Bridge under new manager Xabi Alonso.

However, Chelsea were open to a sale and they allowed him to finally join Villa after accepting a €55.5m offer.

2. Amadou Onana – €59.4m (from Everton, 2024)

Amadou Onana had been linked to Manchester United following a successful spell at Everton, but he eventually moved to Villa in a then club-record deal worth €59.4m.

The midfielder immediately set about proving his worth by scoring two goals in his first three Premier League matches, although this output unsurprisingly dried up.

However, Onana has still been an excellent signing and he has arguably justified his price tag.

1. Johan Manzambi – €60m (from Freiburg, 2026)

Johan Manzambi became Villa’s all-time record signing when he joined the club from Freiburg for €60m in 2026.

The Switzerland attacking midfielder had caught the eye during the 2025-26 season, registering 18 goal contributions in an exciting Freiburg side, and his reputation soared at the World Cup.

After scoring three goals for Switzerland at the tournament, he was linked with a host of top clubs, with Villa eventually winning the bidding war for his signature.

The 10 most expensive Aston Villa signings of all time

Carlo Garganese is a highly-respected football writer, broadcaster and editor with more than 15 years of experience working at the highest level for major global brands. Garganese spent 12 years at Goal.com, where he played a significant role in building and developing the website into one of the largest football media organisations in the world.

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