The clubs had agreed an upfront fee of £39million ($52.8m) along with a further £5m in harder to achieve add-ons for the central midfielder.

Unai Emery and Villa have been hamstring by the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules (PSR), and have enjoyed a quiet window so far after their hectic winter. Things surely would’ve played out differently had they usurped Newcastle in the table on the final day.