Aston Villa have struck success under Unai Emery, as the Spaniard continues to impress since taking the reins from Steven Gerrard in October 2022.
The formidable form since the former Arsenal manager’s touchdown in the Midlands was complemented by his stellar work in the transfer window, as himself and president of football operations, Monchi, welcomed five new arrivals to Villa Park.
As well as incomings, Emery bid farewell to some talented members of the squad he inherited from Gerrard, with the £18m departure of academy graduate Cameron Archer leading the way in terms of most profitable sales.
The 21-year-old striker wasn’t the only academy product to end his association with the Villans, as Jaden Philogene headed to Hull City on a permanent basis, and Aaron Ramsey left his brother Jacob Ramsey behind at Villa Park to sign for Burnley.
How much did Aston Villa sell Aaron Ramsey for?
The Clarets snatched up the signing of Ramsey for a fee of £14m, as the midfielder opted to endeavour on a new challenge away from his boyhood club.
The 20-year-old, who featured primarily for the U21’s side at Villa, was in good stead to fly the nest this summer, after spending the last year and a half on various loan spells.
In January 2022, the playmaker joined Cheltenham in League One, before being handed a new challenge in the Championship, where he represented both Norwich City, and most recently Middlesbrough on successive loans.
The 2022/23 campaign was a pivotal one for Ramsey, who scored three goals and claimed three assists in the second tier for the Canaries, followed by netting five and assisting one in only 11 appearances for Boro.
The Birmingham-born gem had seen first-hand how far his career could go by succeeding at the challenges placed in front of him, as his brother became an integral part of Villa’s Premier League XI under both Gerrard and Emery.
For the 20-year-old however, his future was away from the comforts of Villa Park, as the Villans cashed in on his talents to allow him to make the move to Turf Moor.
Were Aston Villa right to sell Aaron Ramsey?
It’s never easy to see an academy player leave before being given the chance to prove himself, however selling Ramsey this summer was the ideal move for both club and player given his progression the season prior.
Due to the talents already in Emery’s midfield, including his brother, a way into the first team wasn’t going to be easy for the starlet, as he eyed further progression from his success at senior level while on loan.
Once lauded as “quality” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, Ramsey’s move to Burnley was key for his next move in his career, as well as being highly profitable for Villa, who received a price far higher than perhaps anticipated for the youngster.
At the point of his sale, Football Transfers logged the Englishman’s expected transfer value (xTV) at just €4.3m (£3.7m), reinforcing the strength of the sale on Villa’s part.
Sold for a fee over £10m higher than his actual worth, Emery orchestrated the best outcome for the Midlands club and the prospect, who only managed to record one senior appearance for Villa back in 2021.
