Back in May it was confirmed that the 2016-17 Premier League season would be the first in it's history that would not feature Aston Villa.
The one-time European Cup winners were in a group including Manchester United and Liverpool of teams that had not been relegated from the top flight since the Premier League’s inception in 1992, and it was a major disaster for all involved at the club to drop down to the Championship.
During the last five years, a period which stretches all the way back to the reign of Alex McLeish, the club have got to the FA Cup final and signed many players along the way.
But interestingly, in a world where transfer fees are rising through the roof, Villa’s transfer record remains as the £18 million they paid to Sunderland to sign Darren Bent back in the 2010-11 season.
And that is perhaps a reason as to the downfall of the club; their poor recruitment and unwillingness to spend the right money on the right player. They’ve splashed the cash this summer, but it was too late.
Villa have flirted with relegation to the Championship for some time, and in the last five years have finished 16th, 15th, 15th, 17th and 20th.
Here, FLW writer Ryan Evans takes a look at Aston Villa’s THREE best signings from the last five years…
Ashley Westwood
Westwood signed for Villa from Crewe Alexandra in August 2012 as a 22-year old prospect, and has gone on to make 145 appearances for the club so far.
His form as the club reached the FA Cup final meant that many tipped him for a call up to the England squad, although that never actually came.
He’s been a key member of the squad so far this season, playing in every single league match, and will continue to stitch the play together for the remainder of the season.
He’s chipped in with goals and assists regularly throughout his Villa Park career, but if Villa are to turn around this sluggish start they will hope that Westwood can finally take his game to the next level.
Ron Vlaar
A strong and powerful centre-back, a player like Vlaar is still missed today in the Aston Villa back four.
He signed from Feyenoord in August 2012 before being named club captain in September. In total, the now 31-year old made 88 appearances for the Villains before he declined a contract extension in the summer of 2015.
There weren’t many Premier League strikers that enjoyed playing against Vlaar, and, despite recurring injury problems throughout his three years in the Midlands, he was one of the most feared centre-backs in the league.
After declining an extended Villa contract in 2015, Vlaar remained a free agent before signing for Dutch club AZ Alkmaar in December of the same year, and signed an extension there this summer.
Christian Benteke
Villa uncovered a real gem in Benteke, who went on to score 49 goals in 101 games for the club.
He moved to Villa Park and left the stadium on essentially the same dates as Vlaar, and was the club’s top goal scorer for three consecutive seasons.
It was Belgium club Genk where Benteke joined from in a £7 million deal, and was eventually sold for £32.5 million. ]
It was a good piece of business from Villa, but they never replaced him and that could well be the reason they ended up getting relegated.
He scored 19 league goals and 23 in all competitions for Villa in his debut campaign, scoring 11 and 15 in his next two seasons there.
]He moved on to Liverpool, but couldn’t get into the team as regularly as he’d like, and has since signed for Crystal Palace for £27 million, which could rise to £32 million.
Aston Villa fans, do you agree? Are these the best three signings you’ve made in the last five years? What others would you add to this list? Let us know your opinions below!