Aston Villa, despite their European adventure coming to an end on Thursday evening, are still set to enjoy their finest season in recent memory.
Unai Emery has guided them to fourth spot in the Premier League table, seven points clear of Tottenham Hotspur, albeit with a game in hand, as they look close to securing a place in the Champions League next season.
With Ollie Watkins enjoying his finest-ever season in front of goal – netting 27 in total – while Emiliano Martinez has shone at the opposite end, Emery has built a solid core at the club.
If big money offers come in for the pair, might Emery be forced to cash in on them? Villa have been made to sell some of their previous stars in the past, with James Milner being a key example.
If you adjust for the inflation of transfer fees in football over the years, the sale of Milner back in 2010 to Man City was for a fee which is currently more than the value of Douglas Luiz, who has arguably been Villa’s most impressive performer this term.
Douglas Luiz’s current market valuation at Aston Villa
The Brazilian joined Villa from Manchester City in 2019, improving year-on-year to become one of the club’s prized assets this season.
His performances are certainly attracting attention, with Arsenal previously showing an interest in the midfielder earlier this season, and there is no doubt there will be plenty of potential suitors queuing up to secure his signature during the summer transfer window.
The midfielder has missed just three matches in all competitions for the Midlands outfit during the 2023/24 season, becoming the beating heart in the middle of the pitch for Emery.
His influence has clearly helped others showcase their true talents, while Luiz has also emerged as a dangerous threat in the opposition half, scoring ten goals and grabbing ten assists across his 51 matches, which works out as a goal involvement every 2.55 matches – an incredible return from a central midfielder.
It isn’t only his goal contributions which have caught the eye either. Among his teammates, Luiz ranks fourth for accurate passes per game (50.7) in the top flight, while also ranking first for key passes per game (1.5), fifth for big chances created (9) and third for tackles per game (1.7), certainly impressing over a wide range of performance metrics this term.
According to Football Transfers, the 24-year-old is now currently valued at €49.5m (£42.6m) – a steep rise from his initial £15m transfer fee.
These statistics could see the player shine for practically any of the top sides in the Premier League, and it remains to be seen whether Emery will cash in one of his stars.
In the summer of 2010, Villa did bite the bullet and cashed in on one of their players for a significant fee – worth more in 2024 money than Luiz now – when they sold Milner to City.
How much Man City paid for James Milner in 2024 money
The champions of England paid a fee of around £19.8m – as per Totally Money – to secure the services of the midfielder ahead of the 2010/11 campaign, their first full season with Roberto Mancini at the helm.
As per Totally Money's index, this £19.8m would now be worth around £54.5m if judged by inflation, which is over £10m more than what Luiz is currently valued at.
Club
Games
Goals
Liverpool
332
26
Man City
203
19
Newcastle United
136
11
Aston Villa
126
22
Leeds United
53
5
Brighton
20
0
Swindon Town
6
2
Milner was 24 when he joined City and was coming off the back of a season in which he won the Player of the Year award, indicating he was certainly one of their star players.
Totally Money have taken the 100 most expensive transfers of all time across each season since 1992 in Europe's top five leagues. Armed with plenty of historical financial data they have calculated what footballers of yesteryear would be worth in the present day after taking into account the remarkable rate of inflation.
With City aiming to build a side which could see them win the Premier League title, the signing of the Englishman was seen as a statement that not only was Mancini luring players from the continent, but also investing in English talent.
What James Milner did after leaving Aston Villa
Despite his wonderful talent – making his Premier League at the age of just 16 for Leeds United – Milner had yet to win a senior trophy.
This changed following his move to City, where the midfielder won two league titles, the FA Cup and League Cup once each, to add some silverware to his resume.
Following the 2014/15 season, Milner joined Liverpool on a free transfer, soon transpiring to be one of the finest pieces of transfer business the club conducted in recent years, especially judging by the experience that he was going to bring to the Anfield side.
Over the next eight seasons, Milner was the epitome of professionalism as he played 332 times for the Merseyside club, being utilised in eight different positions during his spell under Jürgen Klopp, showcasing his adaptability.
This flexibility ensured he was a reliable option for the German, and he added another Premier League title to his CV, along with finally securing a Champions League winners medal plus a handful of cup triumphs.
Klopp lauded the midfielder as a “role model” after he shone during a win over Newcastle United at the tail end of the 2021/22 season in which Liverpool were eyeing up the quadruple.
He left Anfield to join Brighton and Hove Albion at the end of last season, capping off a trophy-laden spell at the club.
Despite losing one of the most talented players in the top flight back in 2010, Villa’s decision to sell certainly was a wise one from a financial point of view, with the Midlands side raking in over £50m in today’s money.
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Milner would eventually have moved sooner rather than later, therefore securing that profit in 2010 ensured the club struck gold on the midfielder who had made 126 appearances during his spell in the Midlands.
Despite turning 38 in January, the former England international is still going strong for Brighton, adding a plethora of experience to the club as they seek to continue their upward trajectory.