Aston Villa have made some impressive signings since Unai Emery took over as manager in October 2022. The Spaniard has been at the helm for four transfer windows now and has so far brought in 19 new faces. That included two signings in his first window, January 2023, where they signed Jhon Duran and Alex Moreno.
The most expensive player who moved to Villa Park during Emery’s reign at the club was Amadou Onana from Everton. The Belgian midfielder cost £50m and has been an instant hit in claret and blue, scoring twice already.
However, one of his best players at Villa was actually someone who was brought in before his time in the Midlands, Leon Bailey.
Leon Bailey’s value in 2024
Jamaican winger Leon Bailey has had a challenging time at Villa Park. The 27-year-old started his career in England slowly, after signing from German outfit Bayer Leverkusen for £25m in 2021. Since Emery took charge of the club, he has looked like a completely different player.
Emery is famed for transforming careers that have previously seemed on the decline, and that certainly goes for the enterprising winger, who struggled in his first few seasons in claret and blue.
His first campaign saw him play 18 times in the Premier League under Steven Gerrard, getting just one goal and two assists. When Emery became manager, his numbers improved, and he recorded four goals and assists apiece in 33 top-flight games.
Last season, the 27-year-old looked like the player everyone saw tear things up for Leverkusen. His output was superb, playing 52 games in all competitions, scoring 14 goals and grabbing himself 14 assists.
Competition
Games
Goals
Assists
Premier League
35
10
9
Conference League
11
2
4
FA Cup
3
0
0
Carabao Cup
1
0
0
Conference League Qualification
2
2
1
It is perhaps unsurprising that Bailey’s transfer value has shot up since he has found his best form. As per Transfermarkt, the Jamaican is currently worth £35.4m, more than £10m than they paid for him over three years ago. It is a testament to his impressive performances that he is now worth so much.
However, he is not actually the highest-valued player at Villa Park, with Pau Torres, one of Emery’s most trusted players, among those who currently sit ahead of him.
Pau Torres’ value in 2024
It was a happy reunion for manager and player when the Villans signed central defender Torres from Villarreal last summer. Torres had previously played under his fellow Spaniard at Yellow Submarine, where they won the Europa League together in 2021.
Villa had to pay just £31.5m to sign the 27-year-old, who is undoubtedly now a key player at Villa Park, with journalist Dean Jones suggesting that he is "thriving" in English football.
Emery is a manager for whom he has played 147 times, over 100 times more than any manager in his career. With that in mind, it is perhaps unsurprising that Emery chose to reunite with one of his most trusted players over the years.
For the Villans alone, the Spain international has played 42 games, including 29 in the Premier League, missing a short period of time last term due to an ankle injury. So far this season, he has played 90 minutes in each of their three top-flight games.
As football analyst H pointed out on X, the former Villarreal defender is an “amazing” player with the ball at his feet and is one of the more progressive centre-backs in the Premier League, as the stats suggest.
According to FBref, he averaged 4.68 progressive passes and completed 1.53 progressive carries in the Premier League last season. That ranks him in the top 18% and 5% of English top flight defenders respectively.
Given the fact he has performed so well for the Villans over the past season, Torres’ value has risen quite substantially. He is now valued at £37.9m, as per Transfermarkt, showing a great investment on the £31.5m they spent on him originally.
It has certainly been an excellent piece of business by the Villans, and he will no doubt continue to be a key man under Emery.
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