The 2015 summer transfer window will forever leave Aston Villa fans with a “what if?” Feeling.

With Paddy Riley pulling the strings as sporting director, Villa has signed Jordan Amavi, Idrissa Gueye, Adama Traore, Jordan Veretout and Jordan Ayew, among others. In two years, each of these five players had left the club.

Gueye has gone to Everton and now rubs shoulders with Lionel Messi, Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and Co at Paris Saint-Germain and Traoré – who now represents Wolves and Spain – quickly moved to Middlesbrough after Villa was relegated from Premier League.

Amavi eventually joined Marseille for £ 9million after overcoming an injury battle, while Ayew was sent to Swansea City as part of a swap deal involving Neil Taylor in January 2017.

Theoretically, the only one of the five players Villa lost to is Veretout, who joined Fiorentina for an initial £ 6.25million after a loan from Saint-Etienne in 2016/17.

Steve Bruce managed Veretout during the preseason in 2017, but the Villa boss at the time was still determined to sell the French midfielder. Bruce had instead trusted Mile Jedinak, Glenn Whelan, Henri Lansbury and Conor Hourihane.

This decision backfired dramatically.

Veretout, now 28, has been one of the best goal-scoring midfielders in Europe over the past four years. His record 13 goals in two Serie A seasons with Fiorentina earned him a move to Rome in 2019, and his career progressed in the Italian capital.

Under Portuguese head coach Paulo Fonseca, Veretout scored 10 times in 29 Serie A appearances for Roma last season – only Franck Kessie (13) of AC Milan was more prolific in midfield.

Jose Mourinho succeeded his compatriot in the hot seat of Roma this summer and Veretout’s game has already taken to another level.

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With four goals in seven appearances this season, plus two assists, Veretout has become one of Mourinho’s most important players.

Speaking about his coach recently, Veretout said: “He has something more. We really feel that he is behind us, that he wants us to do well. It’s up to us to follow his orders and go as far as possible. We have the team to do something wonderful here.

“I came to Rome to win a Scudetto or some other magnificent trophy.”

Veretout’s form for Roma – who sit fourth in the table after five wins and two losses in their opening seven matches – has earned him a call-up to Didier Deschamps’ World Cup-winning France squad. .

The ex-Villan won his first two caps last month and will participate in the finals of the League of Nations of France, starting with Belgium tonight.

“People kept telling me you’re 28, and I said as long as I’m a soccer player I’ll want to wear this jersey,” Veretout said of his first senior caps. “When you wear it once, you want to come back as soon as possible.

According to transfermarkt, Veretout is now worth £ 29.7million, further underscoring Villa’s recklessness in letting him go four years ago.

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