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.
The five-foot-eleven star participated in 35 Premier League games throughout the season, recording his best-to-date stat line of six goals and seven assists.
In the summer, he was excelling in the England U21 team that eventually went on to win the European Championship until picking up an injury against Portugal in the quarterfinal, and the start of this season has been delayed by an injury that saw him miss eight games.
At £43 million, Ramsey is one of the most important players in the Villa team and the most expensive player to come out of the academy. The fact that this is a £19 million increase since Emery joined the team only serves to emphasise the influence he has had on Ramsey’s development.
Notably, the tables show that the Englishman is valued higher than Boubacar Kamara and Youri Tielemans, two players who joined the team for free transfers in 2022 and 2023, respectively, and who also did not cost the team anything.
Given that Kamara, who is currently injured, has been playing exceptionally well lately—most notably, being called a “incredible player” by Luiz—it is a credit to Ramsey’s ascent that he still seems to be worth more than the French master.
With Ramsey, Villa obviously struck gold, and he’s possibly the best academy product since Jack Grealish. The maestro will actually be difficult to hold onto for the next few years, but if they do decide to sell him, the Villans stand to gain a great deal of money.
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