Aston Villa has transformed under Unai Emery, qualifying for Europe, reaching the Champions League, and winning a European trophy. Recruitment has been a subject of debate, but some signings have been successful, while others have generated millions. Part one of this series looks at the club's recruitment during Emery's reign. Jhon Durán signed for Aston Villa from Chicago Fire in January 2023 for an initial £14.75 million, with the deal reported to include up to £3 million in add-ons, taking the potential total value to around £17.75–18 million. Durán's first full season saw him back up Ollie Watkins throughout the campaign, but by 2024-25, after an ill-fated flirtation with West Ham, Durán was a genuine contender to be Villa's number one striker after signing a new contract and scoring a host of sensational goals, including one of the best seen at Villa Park in recent years against Bayern Munich in the Champions League. Durán had a good thing going, but wasted it. Villa sold Durán to Al-Nassr in January 2025 for approximately £64m–£77m depending on the reported structure and bonuses. Despite his temperament, for an Emery-era signing ranking I'd argue Durán belongs firmly in the success category purely on goal contributions plus the enormous profit Villa generated from the deal. It looks a superb sale right now, given how Durán's career has unfolded since. Álex Moreno was signed for around £13 million from Real Betis in January 2023. Seen by Emery as a better fit for his system than Lucas Digne, Moreno hit the ground running and was a critical part of qualifying for the Europa Conference League. His partnership with Jacob Ramsey was a joy to watch and he was initially a transformative signing. Injuries hit, which led to a bitty 2023-24 season, but Moreno still contributed and played a part in Villa qualifying for the Champions League. It was a surprise in the summer of 2024 when Villa swooped early for Ian Maatsen. By this point, Digne had become Emery's preferred left-back and Moreno departed for Nottingham Forest on loan. In August 2025, Moreno was sold to Girona for around £1.7 million. Villa got around a season and a half from him, including a key role in Emery's push into Europe and the Champions League qualification campaign, so the value wasn't purely financial. Many supporters would still view him as a successful signing despite the low resale value. Youri Tielemans was signed by Aston Villa in the summer of 2023 for no transfer fee. Tielemans' stock was arguably as low as it had ever been when Villa signed him, but he has since become a key player for the club, contributing to their success in the Champions League.