Aston Villa net spend under Steven Gerrard compared to Premier League sides including West Ham, Everton, Leeds

Steven Gerrard certainly wasn’t afraid of splashing the cash while in charge of Aston Villa, with countless players brought in during his 11-month reign. The total spending throughout this period was far greater than the income from personnel sold - suggesting the club had a lot of faith in the former Liverpool man.

Things didn’t quite work out as well as the board and supporters would’ve hoped, though, as Villa currently sit in 17th place in the Premier League. Separated from the relegation zone by goals scored alone - above fellow West Midlands side Wolverhampton Wanderers - it is clear to see why the club lost patience.

Gerrard’s final act as manager was taking charge of his side at Craven Cottage, but not even facing a newly-promoted team could spare his blushes. If anything, the embarrassment intensified as Fulham brushed Villa aside with a dominant 3-0 victory on Thursday. Gerrard was sacked later that evening.

Plenty of fans will be looking at other clubs in and around the Villans in the Premier League standings, and wondering how they’ve got in this position. After all, some top-quality players have been added to the squad over the last year or so.

With this in mind, we’ve taken a look at all the other sides currently in the bottom half, and how much they spent throughout Gerrard’s rather short spell at Villa Park. We’ve also had a look through all of the players brought in and sold during the Gerrard era.

What was Steven Gerrard’s net transfer spend at Aston Villa?

During his time at Villa, Gerrard brought in nine players with a total spend of £90 million. The former Rangers boss also let six players leave on a permanent basis, bringing in an income of £37.8 million. This means his total net spend - covering the 2022/23 summer and 2021/22 winter windows - was £52.2 million.

Players brought in by Aston Villa with Steven Gerrard in charge

• Diego Carlos - £27.9m
• Lucas Digne - £27m
• Philippe Coutinho - £18m
• Leander Dendoncker - £13.5m
• Robin Olsen - £3.15m
• Ludwig Augustinsson - £450k loan fee
• Boubacar Kamara - free transfer
• Jan Bednarek - free transfer
• Calum Chambers - free transfer

Players sold by Aston Villa with Steven Gerrard in charge

• Carney Chukwuemeka - £16.2m
• Matt Targett - £15.75m
• Mahmoud Trezeguet - £3.6m
• Anwar El Ghazi - £2.25m
• Lovre Kalinic - free transfer
• Conor Hourihane - free transfer

How do these figures compare to other teams in the bottom half?

Here is a full list of purchase, sale, and net spend figures for teams in the bottom half of the Premier League table, according to Transfermarkt.

• 11th place: Crystal Palace - £36m spent; £10.9m sold; £25.1m net spend.
• 12th place: Bournemouth - £31.5m spent; £0 sold; £31.5m net spend.
• 13th place: West Ham- £163.8m spent; £16.9m sold; £146.9m net spend.
• 14th place: Southampton - £64.3m spent; £0 sold; £64.3m net spend.
• 15th place: Everton - £104.2m spent; £79.2m sold; £25m net spend.
• 16th place: Leeds United - £93.9m spent; £101.7m sold; -£7.8m net spend.
• 17th place: Aston Villa - £90m spent; £37.8m sold; £52.2m net spend.
• 18th place: Wolves: £127.7m spent; £51.4m sold; £76.3m net spend.
• 19th place: Leicester City: £15.3m spent; £73.3m sold: -£58m net spend.
• 20th place: Nott’m Forest: £149.8m spent; £6.3m sold; £143.5m net spend.