COMMENT

Chinese businessman Tony Xia has promised a lot since taking control at Aston Villa.

He was instantly tasked with the very tough job of redirecting a relegated Premier League team back to the big-time in a Championship that has never looked so competitive.

The first season that Villa had in England's second-tier was utterly forgettable, but proved to be a vital springboard for the club's current success.

Roberto Di Matteo did not last long before he was sacked and replaced by the experienced Steve Bruce, who managed to halt a slide down the table to rescue a mid-table finish.

Bruce has built upon that this term and now has the West Midlands giants fighting at the top end of the table.

To get them there, Xia has had to pump money into the club and although he has hit a brick wall over the last 12 months due to Financial Fair Play, it appears to have really got the best out of the recruitment chiefs at Villa Park.

Xia has overseen some dreadful signings at Aston Villa in his first year and a half at the helm.

Here, Football Insider picks out the five worst investments that Xia has funded since arriving in the West Midlands.

Click below to find out who sits fifth in our list of Xia's first worst investments...

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5. Scott Hogan

Signed from: Brentford - Fee (approx): £12million - Appearances: 46

Hogan arrived at Villa Park full of promise after blitzing the goals for Brentford in the first half of the 2016/17 season.

The 25-year-old had found the net 14 times in 25 appearances for the West London club before Bruce decided to splash £12million on him on transfer deadline day in January.

However the Irish centre-forward simply has not lived up to his price-tag and took well too long to get settled down in the West Midlands.

This season has been better for Hogan, who has shown glimpses that he can be a deadly striker.

But his goals are few and far between meaning that the £12million paid for him was way too much.

Click below to find out who sits fourth in our list of Xia's first worst investments...

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4. Tommy Elphick

Signed from: Bournemouth - Fee (approx): £3million - Appearances: 32

Elphick did not cost anywhere near as much as Hogan did but the centre-back's performances in the Villa defence were abysmal at times.

The former Brighton defender was handed the captain's armband by Di Matteo and will go down in infamy at Villa Park for perhaps being the worst captain that they have ever had.

The 30-year-old was a mainstay until he was axed by Bruce and has since just made the odd appearance.

This season, Elphick had played just four times in all competitions before he was loaned out to Reading in the recent January window.

Click below to find out who sits third in our list of Xia's first worst investments...

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3. Pierluigi Gollini

Signed from: Hellas Verona - Fee (approx): £4.1million - Appearances: 20

He spent his youth career with Fiorentina and Manchester United before a breakthrough season at Hellas Verona meant that Aston Villa were willing to give Gollini a second chance back in England.

£4.1million was a lot of money for a Championship team to spend on a goalkeeper, but Xia was more than willing to allow Di Matteo to raid his home nation for a man to play between the sticks following Brad Guzan's exit.

Gollini was terrible though and was pretty much axed from the first team as soon as Bruce stepped through the door at Villa Park.

Sam Johnstone was signed on loan from Man United and is perhaps the best goalkeeper that Villa have had since Brad Friedel.

Gollini was sent out on an 18-month loan to Atalanta in Serie A, where he has played just 10 times in over a year.

Click below to find out who sits second in our list of Xia's first worst investments...

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2. Aaron Tshibola

Signed from: Reading - Fee (approx): £5million - Appearances: 10

What was going through Xia's head when he let Di Matteo splash £5million on a player who had barely been tested above League Two level?

Tshibola is without doubt one of the worst signings that Villa have made in a long time with making just 10 appearances in all competitions for the club in over a year and a half.

The midfielder has been sent out on loan in every transfer window that Bruce has been at the club with spells at Nottingham Forest, MK Dons and now Kilmarnock.

MK Dons even terminated his loan deal with them just months into the current season due to his pathetic performances.

Villa have so far paid £500,000 for each one of Tshibola's appearances, ranking him as runner-up in this list.

Click below to find out who sits top of our list of Xia's first worst investments...

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1. Ross McCormack

Signed from: Fulham - Fee (approx): £12million - Appearances: 24

McCormack should have been the player who helped Aston Villa instantly bounce back into the Premier League, but the Scotland international was a complete dud and at £12million one of the biggest wastes of money in Championship history.

The 31-year-old has a proven track record in the second-tier after brilliant spells with Leeds, Cardiff and Fulham.

However his time at Villa Park has been plagued with mediocre performances, controversy, a loan spell to Australia and a faulty electric gate.

McCormack returned to England from his successful loan at Melbourne City in January, but has failed to make Bruce's matchday squad in the Championship.

In other Aston Villa news,

this English club owner has dropped a major hint that Villa bid £8million for a 39-goal duo in January

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