Aston Villa transfers: Prem trio disappointed by Emery masterstroke as star returns on lengthy deal

Unai Emery has disappointed a trio of Premier League sides by bringing Jaden Philogene back to Aston Villa, after the forward agreed a return following a lengthy transfer saga.

It is unsurprising that Philogene was one of the Championship’s most sought-after players this summer. Indeed, his flair and skill, added to his contributions in front of goal, showed his time in the second tier was not to be long.

Philogene moved from Aston Villa to Hull last summer, having starred in Villa’s academy but struggled to break through into the first team.

In one season for the Yorkshire side, he bagged 12 goals – some sensational ones within that – and six assists in the Championship.

Since then, he has been on the radar of huge clubs such as Barcelona, but having revealed he was keen on getting back to the Premier League, interest from Ipswich, Everton and Crystal Palace seemed to have the best chance of leading to a transfer.

Everton were at one point confident of the snare, after agreeing a deal with Hull and getting positive signs from Philogene himself.

Ipswich then lodged an £18million bid, but Villa used their matching rights on the deal to ensure the Tractor Boys would not be able to get the forward without upping their bid.

With that not happening, all that was needed was Philogene’s go-ahead before a return to Villa could be completed.

Philogene agrees Villa return

And according to Fabrizio Romano, the forward has agreed to return to Villa after they matched the Ipswich bid.

It’s stated he will now definitively return to the club.

All that’s left to do is for him to complete a medical, and other formal steps to the transfer.

After that, Philogene will pen a five-year deal at Villa Park.

Emery pulls off transfer masterstroke

It is one thing for Emery to have disappointed three Premier League rivals in signing a star they were all keen on, but it is another for him to pull off the masterstroke of getting him cheaper than they would have.

Indeed, the highest bid from another club was £18million.

Villa will get Philogene back for just £13million, given they had a 30 per cent sell-on clause in their initial sale.

It’s a masterstroke from Emery and Co to give one of their most promising academy products experience that they were unable to give him, before getting him back ahead of other interested sides in a bargain deal.

And with Moussa Diaby potentially heading out the Villa Park exit door, Philogene could be in line for some consistent minutes in the upcoming season.

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