In one of the most high-profile moves of the 2026 summer Premier League transfer window, Aston Villa has struck an agreement to bring experienced right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka to Villa Park from West Ham United. The 28-year-old DR Congo international, who previously featured for Manchester United and Crystal Palace earlier in his career, will make the move on an initial season-long loan agreement that includes a mandatory permanent transfer clause triggered at the end of the 2026-27 campaign.
Wan-Bissaka has already been granted formal permission to travel to the Midlands to complete his mandatory medical examination, though full financial details of the agreement have not been publicly disclosed. Prior to the finalization of the deal, West Ham had set a £25 million asking price for the defender, who sat out West Ham’s first two Championship matches of the new season as transfer negotiations progressed.
This transfer caps off a frantic summer of transfer activity for both Premier League sides. West Ham has pulled off a series of big-money sales this window, offloading midfielder Mateus Fernandes to Tottenham Hotspur for £85 million and winger Crysencio Summerville to an undisclosed club for £60 million, while securing the future of club captain Jarrod Bowen with a new long-term contract.
Aston Villa has also been one of the busiest clubs in the top flight this summer, anchored by a club-record sale of attacking talent Morgan Rogers to Chelsea for £117 million. Despite the high profile arrivals at the club, post-transfer accounting leaves Villa with the lowest net spend across the entire Premier League at roughly negative £110 million, meaning the club has generated more revenue from sales than it has spent on new signings.
Unai Emery’s side has already added multiple new faces to their first-team squad ahead of the new campaign, including central midfielders Johan Manzambi and Joao Gomes, and young highly-rated centre-back Modou Keba Cisse. They have also secured Chelsea winger Alejandro Garnacho on a loan deal with an obligation to buy, echoing the structure of the Wan-Bissaka transfer.
Aston Villa will kick off their 2026-27 Premier League title challenge this Sunday with an away fixture against Brighton & Hove Albion, kicking off at 14:00 BST. Emery’s side will also compete in the UEFA Champions League this season, having secured a fourth-place Premier League finish and lifted the Europa League trophy in the 2025-26 campaign. Fans can access exclusive pre-match, post-match and breaking content about Aston Villa via BBC Sounds, with dedicated programming covering all updates from the club.