Rating Aston Villa's Transfer Window Business

Transfer deadline day always brings a flurry of activity that can leave any fan’s stomach turning as they watch their team conduct last-minute business.

For Aston Villa fans, their summer transfer window closed with less drama, as Paul Lambert chose to make most of his purchases when the window opened in June.

These early signings, coupled with some late departures, composed of the bulk of Aston Villa’s summer transfer business that will set the tone for Villa’s season to come. Here they will be ranked accordingly.

Aleksandar Tonev

Lambert’s first signing of the summer was Bulgarian winger Aleksandar Tonev, who arrived at Villa Park from Lech Poznan for £2.5 million.

A skillful player willing to attack defenders, Tonev was a fair opening purchase for Lambert’s summer spending. His team has struggled with width, and Tonev was acquired to create chances for his strikers while scoring the occasional goal himself.

While not a particularly groundbreaking signing, Tonev was bought for a reasonable price, is only 23 years old and has a good chance of supporting Villa’s existing strike force with quality crosses.

Rating: B

Jores Okore

There’s no two ways around it: Jores Okore has been the most exciting signing by Aston Villa during the summer transfer window.

A Danish international at just 20 years of age, Okore signed for Villa for £4 million from Nordsjaelland, where he proved his worth in the Champions League against the likes of Chelsea, Juventus and Shakhtar Donetsk.

The 2012-13 season exposed Villa’s defense and Okore will help in a big way. He is tremendously strong and quick while also possessing great all-around defensive skills. Villa fans are anticipating big things from Okore; expect him to deliver.

Rating: A

Leandro Bacuna

Signed on the same day as Okore, 22-year-old Dutchman Leandro Bacuna arrived from Groningen for £1 million. Appearances in all four of Villa’s competitive matches this year show that he has fit right into the team.

Bacuna is a skilled player whose greatest asset to the team is his versatility. He is capable of playing as a midfielder, at right-back or even as an attacking player.

The tactical flexibility that this offers Lambert—for a low transfer fee—makes Bacuna one of Villa’s better signings of the summer.

Rating: B+

Nicklas Helenius

Danish international Nicklas Helenius came to Villa Park as Lambert’s fourth signing in quick succession, arriving for £2 million from Aalborg.

Standing at a lanky 6’5” it is easy to presume that the striker is a pure target man in the mold of Peter Crouch. However, early performances by Helenius have shown him to be a crafty player with good feet and a desire to create for others as well.

This combination of physical abilities and skill make Helenius well worth the money spent for him. While he may have to wait to get his chance as a regular starter, Helenius will only improve and may be one to watch for the future.

Rating: B

Antonio Luna

If the opening day win against Arsenal is any indication, Antonio Luna is already a hit among the Villa faithful after scoring a goal. After arriving from Sevilla for £2 million, Luna has started at left-back in all three of Villa’s Premier League matches.

Brought in to shore up Villa’s weakest position last season, Luna fits the Lambert mold of a young, unproven player acquired cheaply.

Luna is an upgrade over Joe Bennett, providing greater consistency in defense and is eager to join the attack when appropriate. So far, he has proven to be one of Lambert’s more astute signings.

Rating: A-

Jed Steer

Former Norwich keeper Jed Steer was acquired by Lambert on a free transfer to cover for Brad Guzan, replacing the departing Andy Marshall.

The young Englishman will be developed slowly but is likely to feature in Aston Villa’s cup games for the year. Most importantly, Steer was acquired for very little risk to play primarily as a backup.

Rating: B

Libor Kozak

While transfer deadline day saw several players secure exits from Villa Park, it also saw the arrival of Czech striker Libor Kozak from Lazio.

Having been scouted by Lambert for several months, Kozak arrives to provide support and cover for Christian Benteke as a central striker. Kozak is a physical player who struggled to succeed in Serie A but impressed in Europe, where he was last season’s top scorer in the Europa League.

Contextually, Kozak’s signing seems superfluous, as Villa have the most depth in the team at forward and have a greater need for creative players than finishers. Furthermore, he arrives for a significantly higher price than many of his fellow new signings, costing an estimated £5-6 million.

For Kozak to succeed, he will need to avoid being pigeonholed as a pure goalscorer, a label that saw Darren Bent forced out of the club. While he seems an unnecessary signing at the moment, Kozak has the talent to prove his worth.

Rating: C

Brett Holman

Brett Holman was caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. Signed on a free transfer by former manager Alex McLeish, Holman arrived at a new club without a set place in the team. The versatile Australian started the season as a regular first-team player before being unceremoniously exiled for most of 2013.

Unsurprisingly, Holman eagerly departed Villa Park for Al Nasr in June. As neither the player nor new manager seemed to get along, Holman’s exit is best for all concerned parties. While quite industrious, Holman's technical deficiencies were largely responsible for his exit from the club.

Rating: A

Darren Bent

Darren Bent’s tumultuous year under Paul Lambert came to an end when Fulham agreed to take the prolific striker on loan for the season.

While outright selling Bent would have been the preferred outcome to the situation, Villa are still lifted of the burden of Bent’s wages and will also receive a £2 million loan fee.

Despite his past successes at the club, Bent’s lack of an all-around game did not fit into Lambert’s plans, and Villa’s surplus of talented strikers will ensure that Christian Benteke and company are more than capable of offsetting Bent’s departure.

Rating: B+

Nathan Delfouneso

Once touted as the future of Villa’s strike force, Delfouneso has been unable to break into the first team consistently and has been sent to Blackpool on another loan spell.

Delfouneso will get an opportunity to consistently play at Blackpool and continue to sharpen his skills. While it is becoming increasingly unlikely that his long-term future lies at Villa Park, the loan deal could be an avenue for a later permanent move for Delfouneso.

Rating: A

Stephen Ireland

Five years ago, it would have been unimaginable that Stephen Ireland would be where he is now. His time at Villa Park has been almost entirely negative, with the player failing to consistently perform and burdening the club with his high wages.

With his contract set to expire next year, Ireland is moving on loan to Stoke for season, reuniting with his former manager Mark Hughes. Had Ireland been the incisive passer and scoring threat for Villa that he was under Hughes at Manchester City, then he would have thrived under Lambert.

Instead Villa fans will be lamenting what could have been, but they must be thankful to finally have the weight of his wages lifted as the Irishman has finally moved on.

Rating: B+

Barry Bannan

Unlike Ireland, Barry Bannan was hardly a complete failure during his time at Aston Villa. While news of his permanent departure to Crystal Palace was not surprising for the Villa faithful, it did trigger mixed emotions for many.

Bannan is a very ambitious and aggressive player who is willing and capable of attacking a defense with a wide range of passes. However, his small stature, inconsistency and hot head led him to join the list of exiled players under Lambert.

It is clear that Bannan had no further part to play for Aston Villa as long as Lambert is manager. Nonetheless, Bannan was once one of Villa’s brightest young stars and it is very possible that the Scottish midfielder finds success in London.

Rating: B-