West Brom made £5m profit on 6ft 2 colossus who made Aston Villa move | OneFootball

The Baggies struck gold when they sold defender Curtis Davies to Aston Villa

West Bromwich Albion struck gold when they sold defender Curtis Davies to Aston Villa, turning a tidy profit on a player they had spotted early and nurtured into one of the Championship's most consistent performers.

The Baggies initially paid £3m to secure Davies from Luton Town in August 2005, with the towering 6ft 2in centre-back arriving as one of the most promising young defenders in the country.

Having already established himself as somewhat of a colossus at Kenilworth Road - where he had been named League One Player of the Year - Davies quickly found himself West Brom's second-youngest captain ever.

How the £5m profit was made on Curtis Davies

Initially joining Villa on a season-long loan with a view to a permanent move in 2007, Davies eventually completed his switch to Villa Park in July 2008 for a fee that reached £8.5m, with add-ons potentially taking the total to £10m.

The profit margin was particularly impressive given that West Brom had to share 30% of any surplus with Davies' former club Luton as part of their original agreement. Despite this clause, the Baggies still netted approximately £5m from the deal.

Before leaving for Villa, the then-22-year-old helped West Brom avoid immediate relegation in his first Premier League season, where he made 33 appearances and scored once - and he remained loyal to the club following their drop to the second-tier.

His leadership qualities stood out as he captained the side through their 06/07 promotion push, though injury meant his involvement in the playoffs was limited. Derby County beat them at Wembley in the final.

Aston Villa move changed everything for Davies

Martin O'Neill had been tracking Davies since the second half of the 06/07 season and made him his priority summer target - the Northern Irishman saw him as the perfect partner for Martin Laursen at the back.

Upon joining Villa permanently, Davies mentioned, "The manager's record speaks for itself.

"During his career he has turned people like Emile Heskey, Robbie Savage and Muzzy Izzet into great players and hopefully he can turn me into a gem as well," he added.

The first spell (loan) worked perfectly for all parties involved. Villa secured their target without spending immediately, while West Brom managed to get the highest fee possible by creating a bidding war that drove up the eventual fee.

While Davies initially formed a solid partnership with Laursen and earned call-ups to the England senior squad, his Villa career was plagued by injuries and a loss of form. He ruptured his achilles during the loan spell and suffered subsequent shoulder problems.

While Davies went on to have a career that spanned over two decades and 677 professional appearances, the Villa move marked the beginning of him becoming somewhat of a journeyman that saw him play for Leicester City, Birmingham City, Hull City, Derby County and Cheltenham Town.

Before joining Cheltenham in 2024, Davies was sent off in his last ever game for Derby - marking the end to six-years at the East Midlands ouftit.

For West Brom, the Davies sale showed their ability to identify and develop young talent before selling at the best possible moment - and he never went for more money than what the Baggies got for him.

Blues paid a reported fee of £3.5m to take him from their Second City rivals in 2011.