Unai Emery’s men signed both Man Utd’s Jadon Sancho and Liverpool’s Harvey Elliott on loan
Jadon Sancho joins Aston Villa on a season-long loan from Manchester Unitedopen image in gallery
Jadon Sancho joins Aston Villa on a season-long loan from Manchester United (Adam Davy/PA Wire)
Your support helps us to tell the story
Support Now
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.
Aston Villa have completed a double deal by signing winger Jadon Sancho and midfielder Harvey Elliott on loan as Unai Emery belatedly brought in reinforcements.
Sancho has left Manchester United on a third loan in successive seasons, after spells at Borussia Dortmund and Chelsea.
Villa will pay a loan fee and have guaranteed 80 percent of his considerable wages but United had hoped to sell the England international this summer. Roma and Dortmund had both been interested in him.
Elliott has joined on a season-long loan while Villa have an obligation to buy the England Under-21 international from Liverpool for £35m next summer.
Villa beat off competition from RB Leipzig for Elliott’s signature, while West Ham and Fulham had also been interested in him this summer.
The 22-year-old, a boyhood Liverpool fan, was named player of the tournament when England won the European Under-21 Championships but then admitted he may need a transfer to avoid “wasting years” of his career.
Elliott only started two Premier League games last season and Liverpool felt his chances of first-team football were reduced by the arrivals of players such as Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak this summer.
Harvey Elliott has joined Aston Villa on a season long loanopen image in gallery
Harvey Elliott has joined Aston Villa on a season long loan (PA Wire)
But they included both a sell-on and a buy-back clause in the deal with Villa to keep open the option of bringing him back to Anfield in the future.
Villa are the only team who have yet to score a Premier League goal this season and Emery had been operating with a weaker squad after the loss of loanees Marco Asensio and Marcus Rashford and the departure of Leon Bailey.
But they made three signings at the end of the transfer window, with Sancho’s former Manchester United teammate Victor Lindelof arriving on a free transfer, while goalkeeper Emi Martinez stayed, after United decided to buy Belgian goalkeeper Senne Lammens instead of him.