Enzo Barrenechea - on loan at Benfica

[PeterWithe]

So if he did leave for say £25m, would he be in our top 10 sales ever, without ever playing for us?

Jack, Benteke, Milner, Duggie, Duran, Diabi. Any more?

[cdbearsfan]

I think your list would include all our most expensive players transferred.

https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/aston-villa/alletransfers/verein/405

[jwarry]

I think your list would include all our most expensive players transferred.

https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/aston-villa/alletransfers/verein/405

Bloody hell when you look at our sales over the years you can see why it’s been a struggle and God knows what would have happened if we hadn’t hit £100m for Jack.

2020/21 was a particular low point - a paltry £2.7m for Scott Hogan to a club that had no money!

[cdbearsfan]

It's Euros, so will be slightly less even than that paltry sum.

[LeeS]

That list of recent transfers out is shocking. Until this year we’ve barely ever sold anyone for anything. Masses of free transfers allowed to leave.

[Toronto Villa]

Yeh we sold massive players like Carney Chukwuemeka, Omari Kellyman, Cameron Archer and Jayden Bidace for nothing. Do they not count?

[jwarry]

Yeh we sold massive players like Carney Chukwuemeka, Omari Kellyman, Cameron Archer and Jayden Bidace for nothing. Do they not count?

He’s talking about the years before Unai I think

[Somniloquism]

Yeh we sold massive players like Carney Chukwuemeka, Omari Kellyman, Cameron Archer and Jayden Bidace for nothing. Do they not count?

He’s talking about the years before Unai I think

With the line, "until this year" he isn't giving that impression.

[LeeS]

Yeh we sold massive players like Carney Chukwuemeka, Omari Kellyman, Cameron Archer and Jayden Bidace for nothing. Do they not count?

I meant this era. If you’d call the Unai years an era, of course.

[Percy McCarthy]

Our recruitment has been spot on since the start of the Unai era. Smith era wasn’t bad either.

There’s not that much deadwood compared to say, Man Utd. Haven’t studied this scientifically though.

[paul_e]

Yeh we sold massive players like Carney Chukwuemeka, Omari Kellyman, Cameron Archer and Jayden Bidace for nothing. Do they not count?

I meant this era. If you’d call the Unai years an era, of course.

I think in general our recruitment since NSWE came in has been excellent and there are far more hits than misses. What skews it a little is how many of those hits are still with us so are recognised as transfer profit. That a core of the squad is still players signed by Smith is testament to how well we've played the transfer market, as is the fact that our net spend over the last 5 years is one of the lowest in the league and yet, in that time, we've established about the strongest squad we've ever had in the premier league and become regulars in the top half of the league, despite the drag of 12 months with Gerrard.

[Steve67]

Our recruitment has been pretty good considering the handcuffs we have imposed on us financially.  Imagine where we could be if those restrictions were removed? I genuinely think we’d be title contenders under Unai and NSWE.

[PeterWithe]

Our recruitment has been pretty good considering the handcuffs we have imposed on us financially.  Imagine where we could be if those restrictions were removed? I genuinely think we’d be title contenders under Unai and NSWE.

True, maybe, but that would also mean everyone else currently above us spending more, Newcastle in particular.

[Ian.]

They may increase their spending, but still they have to get the right players. Man Utd seem to have a free hit, but all their big signings over the years have made them worse off. Spurs have spent a small fortune to be sat just above relegation.

Howe does seems quite savvy, I’m impressed with how he’s handled that job. They are quite a horrible side, but I’d certainly like some of their players.

Arsenal don’t seem too great in the market and I have idea how Slot would fair. The amount of players Chelsea purchase, sooner or later some will be good. Surely that will catch up with them?

We seem to finally after many, many years of stockpiling big earners at the end of their career have a very good plan which involves youngsters for the academy, potential which could go either way, as in making our squad or selling for profit and also having additions which improve the team.

Like Steve, I would love to see what they good do without the restrictions.

[OCD]

Man Utd seem to get who they want because they're prepared to pay more than anyone else. That's a double edge sword though because you end up mercenaries who have a terrible attitude when things aren't going their way.