Aston Villa’s season has been absolutely immense, with the side confident of securing Champions League football and the UEFA Conference League trophy.
Unai Emery has been the main influence in helping the Villans rise up the table to fourth, but it's not just the team as a whole that he’s having a positive impact on.
The likes of Ezri Konsa, Douglas Luiz, and even Ollie Watkins have all progressed massively over the past two seasons, but there is one player that has stood out in particular.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at the star whose value has soared since the arrival of the Spaniard.
Jacob Ramsey’s early Villa career
Boyhood Villa gem Jacob Ramsey has been at the club since U9’s level, progressing through the ranks to become a key player.
The 22-year-old made his debut in 2019 against West Bromwich Albion in the Championship, when he replaced Conor Hourihane as a half-time substitute.
The England star had a very short loan spell at Doncaster Rovers before returning to Villa after just seven games, where he scored three goals.
In the 2020/21 season, Ramsey enjoyed his breakthrough campaign, featuring 22 times with an average of 28 minutes per game. Under Steven Gerrard in the following season, he scored six goals and developed into a constant figure in the starting XI.
Jacob Ramsey under Emery
Since Emery has been at the helm, Ramsey has developed into one of the most exciting midfielders in the Premier League, with Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig labelling him “amazing.”
It was last season when the number 41 really took off, and he was an instant hit under the current boss, as in his first game in charge, Ramsey scored and assisted in a 3-1 home win over Manchester United.
Over the campaign, the 5 foot 11 gem played 35 Premier League matches, scoring six goals while also providing seven assists, which is his best record to date.
In the summer, he was thriving in the England U21 team that eventually went on to win the European Championship before picking up an injury against Portugal in the quarterfinal, and the start of this season has been hampered by an injury that saw him miss eight games.
Diaby, Luiz
£68m
Watkins, Torres
£51m
Ramsey
£43m
Bailey, McGinn
£34m
Kamara, Konsa, Tielemans, Cash
£26m
As you can see from the table above, Ramsey is one of the most valuable assets in the Villa squad at £43m and the highest-valued player to have come from the academy. This is a £19m rise since Emery joined the club, which just further highlights the impact he's had on Ramsey's progress.
The tables notably indicates that the Englishman is also worth more than both Boubacar Kamara and Youri Tielemans, two players who also cost the club nothing after joining on free transfers in 2022 and 2023, respectively.
Aston Villa could’ve eased Kamara injury with “superstar” who left in 2022
Unai Emery will be disappointed that Villa let their former star leave.
ByTom LeverFeb 18, 2024
With Kamara, who is now sidelined with injury, having particularly shone of late – notably being hailed as an "incredible player" by Luiz – it is a testament to Ramsey's rise that he is still seemingly worth more than the French maestro.
It’s clear that Villa truly hit the jackpot with Ramsey, and he is arguably the best product of the academy since Jack Grealish. In truth, they’ll be lucky to keep hold of the maestro over the next few years, but if they do sell him, then the Villans will be in for a huge payday.