The last couple of years have been a dream for Aston Villa football club, especially considering the precarious position they found themselves in just a couple of years ago.
They only secured survival on the final day of the 2019/20 season away at West Ham United, with the club undergoing a huge overhaul in recent years.
Significant investment into the playing squad has allowed for a huge turnaround, with Unai Emery’s side qualifying for the Champions League during the 2023/24 campaign after finishing in the Premier League’s top four.
Emery has been the man at the helm for their recent success, providing the supporters with memories to last a lifetime – with European football a distant dream before his arrival in November 2022.
He’s formed a fantastic squad with the help of President of Football Operations Monchi, with the pair working together to form a squad without one of the club’s most high-profile academy graduates.
Jack Grealish’s time at Aston Villa
After joining the club as a six-year-old, Jack Grealish rapidly developed through the club’s academy setup, before making his first-team debut back in 2014 following a successful loan spell at Notts County, where he registered 12 goal involvements in 39 games.
The forward is the definition of a modern-day club legend, staying at the club after relegation from the Premier League in 2016, and becoming a spearhead in the squad that eventually claimed promotion three years later.
He was named as club captain during the promotion-winning campaign, producing numerous moments of magic – including against bitter rivals Birmingham City after he was attacked by a supporter.
It was fitting that Grealish scored the goal to keep Villa in the Premier League back in 2020, with the boyhood fan going on to join Manchester City in a record-breaking deal 12 months later, departing Villa Park with 213 appearances to his name.
The attacker joined Pep Guardiola’s side in a £100m deal – the most expensive transfer for an English player at the time, before Declan Rice's £105m move to Arsenal last summer.
1. Jack Grealish
2021/22
£100m
2. Moussa Diaby
2024/25
£50.5m
3. Douglas Luiz
2024/25
£43.3m
4. Christian Benteke
2015/16
£39m
5. Stewart Downing
2011/12
£19.2m
Whilst it was a big call to let such a talented player leave Villa Park, the fee was too good to turn down, with the club currently having a player who is worth more than the English international in 2024.
Jack Grealish’s market value in 2024
Villa star Ollie Watkins enjoyed his best top-flight goalscoring campaign last season, bagging 19 goals in his 37 appearances – helping the club finish in the top four.
The 28-year-old “nightmare”, as described by Conor Coady, has been a constant source of goals for Villa after his £28m move from Brentford back in 2020, with Dean Smith's signing going on to register double figures in every campaign he’s featured in for the club.
His excellent form last season saw him receive a call-up to the England squad for Euro 2024, scoring the winning goal off the bench during the semi-final victory over the Netherlands.
Watkins’ superb showings over the last 12 months has seen his market value soar, with the striker now valued at £55m as per Transfermarkt – a figure that is higher than former fan-favourite Grealish, who’s now only valued at £50m just three years after his record-breaking move.
The striker is just one example of the club’s excellent recruitment in recent times, with his goalscoring abilities allowing the club to reach heights that were unimaginable just a couple of years ago.
The supporters and Emery will desperately be hoping that he can replicate his sensational form from last season in 2024/25 as the club embark on an unforgettable European adventure in the coming months.
Aston Villa struck gold on free signing who's now worth more than Martinez
The club have certainly bagged themselves a gem.
ByEthan LambSep 3, 2024
