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 It was five in and nine out in this summer’s transfer window for Aston Villa’s first team, with head coach Dean Smith fully focused on making this season a memorable one.

Villa went bold this summer given the £38 million club-record outlay on Emi Buendia, while they added genuine quality with Leon Bailey and Danny Ings, the latter a deal out of nowhere and a signing that most Premier League clubs would have made given the chance.

Deals to bring in Ashley Young and Axel Tuanzebe bolstered Villa’s defensive ranks tenfold knowing of the departures of Bjorn Engels, Frederic Guilbert, Ahmed Elmohamady and Neil Taylor.

As CEO Christian Purslow stressed in his big transfer update last month, Villa had also already replaced £100 million Jack Grealish with Bailey, Ings and Buendia to the tune of £95 million.

A new goalkeeper was also looked at but Smith and Neil Cutler have now placed their trust in Jed Steer to step up in Emi Martinez’s absence with Steer starting at Stamford Bridge in 10 days’ time.

To the most talked-about subject amongst the Villa masses of late and that’s the midfield area with Villa missing out on top target James Ward-Prowse after their failed £25 million bid.

Villa allowed Conor Hourihane to wave goodbye and, even then, boss Smith is seemingly more than happy to go with what he’s got with as many as six players now fighting for two to three places in central midfield at Villa Park.

Smith continually stressed to BirminghamLive how he cannot “stockpile” players which has been a problem of Villa’s in the past. Villa’s midfield department from now until January at least is that of Scottish hero John McGinn, Marvelous Nakamba, Olympic gold medal winner Douglas Luiz, £14 million Morgan Sanson, an improving Jacob Ramsey and future star Carney Chukwuemeka who Smith, Purslow and those within the club rave about. Buendia can operate centrally while Tuanzebe has screened a back four in the past for Manchester United.

To some within the corridors at Bodymoor Heath it was Ramsey’s emergence on his big start against Newcastle that perhaps made Villa’s transfer committee stop and rethink that spending another thirty-odd million is not necessary – for now at least.

What’s evidently clear is this, though: the likes of Ramsey and Chukwuemeka will continue to be given a chance in the Premier League – the latter still just 17 don’t forget – and that can’t be a bad thing.

What’s also crystal is manager Smith backing his group of players to the hilt. Business was done early and, let’s not forget, it’s been a really good window with Villa signing quality of quantity once again.

We’ll find out what Villa are really made of in the coming weeks with visits to Chelsea (twice), Manchester United, Spurs and Arsenal on the horizon. Character is going to be needed in abundance too with Smith’s side playing six of their next nine matches away from Villa Park. Supporters will soon know if Villa do indeed have the minerals for European qualification this season with Bailey, Bertrand Traore, McGinn, Ramsey, Tyrone Mings and a fit-again Ollie Watkins all back and in contention to start on September 11.

Smith wants his new-look Villa to be fluid and to develop their understanding and it’ll all have to click in the coming weeks if Villa are to silence those who continue to doubt them.

For now at least, supporters should take a leaf out of Smith’s book and back Villa’s squad to come good. We’re yet to see Smith’s strongest XI take to the field after all.

Players must step up, though; the likes of McGinn, Nakamba, Douglas Luiz, Matty Cash, Matt Targett and every player in a Villa shirt for that matter who need to take their games to new heights. There’s a real demand given all of that European talk in pre-season.

Can we see Ramsey become a cult hero and a Premier League star? Can Ings get close to 20 goals? Can Watkins outscore his strike partner? How brilliant can Bailey be? Sanson’s a player with Champions League pedigree, can he come to the fore? What about Cameron Archer, can he make a surprise impact?

There’s plenty of questions that will be answered in the coming weeks as Villa come up against the best in Europe.

The owners, Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens, should be applauded once again for their backing but, as ever, the proof will be in the pudding and results need to be forthcoming so it’s over to Smith and his squad of players to deliver like we all hope and know they can. – Birmingham Mail