It was first reported by the Express and Star that Aston Villa had parted with £8 million to bring winger Anwar El-Ghazi to the club on a permanent basis on Monday afternoon. Now, it has been reported that they paid almost half of that fee.
A report from French news outlet L’Equipe has claimed that Anwar El-Ghazi cost Aston Villa on £4.5 million to bring back on a permanent basis after his loan spell with the club expired upon the end of their season.
Fans were happy enough with the return of their play-off goal hero, but with it emerging that he has returned for under £5 million, they have been provided with an extra boost regarding the signing. And while Aston Villa will not have to cost-cut like they have during their time in the Championship, a cheap deal for a proven player will not be frowned upon at all.
El Ghazi’s strong form over the course of the second half of the season helped Villa secure a place in the Championship play-offs. His time under Steve Bruce was somewhat underwhelming, but he managed to nail down a place in the starting 11 under Dean Smith. El Ghazi played 36 games in all competitions for the club, scoring six goals and providing six assists. Now, he will be looking forward to adding to that total in the Premier League.
The winger was always highly likely to make a move away from Lille OSC this summer. It was reported here on The72 that he was one of several players to be shipped out of the club this summer, and that has become true with his permanent move to Villa confirmed. El-Ghazi had made no secret of the fact that he was keen to join villa permanently this summer, so he too will be thrilled to have the deal sorted.
