Aston Villa have had their fair share of poor transfer dealings over recent years, haven't they? The club have made moves for both experienced players who should have the know-how to succeed, as well as younger faces who can inject energy in the side. Either way, both calibres of players have had mixed fortunes in the Midlands.

This season, Villa's approach to transfers has largely paid dividends. The permanent signing of John McGinn, as well as loan moves for Tammy Abraham and Tyrone Mings particularly stand out due to their performances in a claret and blue shirt during their time at Villa Park.

However, not all transfers are able to have such an effect on the side. With that being said, let's take a look at two of the worst Villa transfers over the past five years...

Micah Richards

Richards was Tim Sherwood's first official signing as Villa manager in 2015 and upon his arrival, he was made club captain. Given his credentials and understanding of the League, it seemed to be a positive addition.

In his first campaign, injuries and poor showings from himself in a lacklustre side meant Richards was in-and-out of the side after the turn of the year.

The following season he made three appearances, the last one came in October 2016 after he came off against Wolves and he has not played for Villa since.

The 30-year-old is reportedly on £35,000 per week, as reported by BirminghamLive and to be paying a player a significant amount of money when the situation is completely unknown is just baffling. Richards' contract expires in the summer so that will surely bring an end to his four-year affiliation with the club.

Joleon Lescott

Lescott joined from West Bromwich Albion in the same summer that his ex-Manchester City teammate joined Villa too.

He made 31 appearances for Villa that season, with a significant number of them being substandard defensive showings as Lescott seemed to be a shadow of his former-self that had been so dominant in years gone by.

His reputation among the fans was not done any favours through the infamous tweet of a Mercedes following a 6-0 defeat at home to Liverpool and the former-England international did then move on to AEK Athens soon after. He has since retired following a spell at Sunderland and leaves little to no legacy at Villa Park.