Aston Villa’s finances

[Lion82]

Thanks- didn’t realise

What’s going on at Villa? Feels like everyone’s off?!

Emery has performed miracles with Dean Smiths squad, despite what the press keep reporting Villa have spent very little. We’ve paid some big fees but recouped the majority. We signed Diaby for £49m then sold him for £51 end of the season, others have followed.

Last season we had a net spend of £28m, so to finish 4th and win The Europa league was a miracle. I see there is little Love lost for Konsa on here but he served Villa well, he always has a mistake in him though and we saw that repeatedly last season. There doesn’t seem to be a panic because we were shocking for a third of last season, Rogers being one of the main culprits. He went missing for months and then would turn it on, he did however play pretty much every game so maybe that had an impact? He was guilty of running into corners and often handing over possession time and time again. Digne was a good servant and at his age wanted to return to Paris. There don’t seem any ill feeling in the super cup after the game.

I think the fact that we won a trophy has taken away the urgency, it was an aging squad that sooner or later would need a rebuild.

I also believe that the owners realise that at this moment in time that UEFA/FIFA/EPL are protecting the Cartel so they are doing everything to make the league anti-competitive. We’ve managed 7th,5th,6th and 4th, that can’t carry on with the restrictions in place. So now seems to be as good a time as any to cut the wage billl. They’ve basically recouped £30m a year in wages and if Martinez goes that will be another £5m on top.

Villa had to pay more wages to get re-established after relegation, they’ve managed it to a certain extent so now seems as good a time as any to restructure.

Other teams will think it’s sour grapes but all of the players mentioned are replaceable.

Now if we lost Emery, that would be great cause of anxiety. He’s trusted with what he sees is best for the club and selling Rogers, Konsa and Tielemens has been questioned but he’s trusted to do what’s best. Again there has been no negativity from the club regards to any sales and they’ve gone with best wishes.

Sorry for the loooooong answer.

 

[Twickenhamben]

Emery has performed miracles with Dean Smiths squad, despite what the press keep reporting Villa have spent very little. We’ve paid some big fees but recouped the majority. We signed Diaby for £49m then sold him for £51 end of the season, others have followed.

Last season we had a net spend of £28m, so to finish 4th and win The Europa league was a miracle. I see there is little Love lost for Konsa on here but he served Villa well, he always has a mistake in him though and we saw that repeatedly last season. There doesn’t seem to be a panic because we were shocking for a third of last season, Rogers being one of the main culprits. He went missing for months and then would turn it on, he did however play pretty much every game so maybe that had an impact? He was guilty of running into corners and often handing over possession time and time again. Digne was a good servant and at his age wanted to return to Paris. There don’t seem any ill feeling in the super cup after the game.

I think the fact that we won a trophy has taken away the urgency, it was an aging squad that sooner or later would need a rebuild.

I also believe that the owners realise that at this moment in time that UEFA/FIFA/EPL are protecting the Cartel so they are doing everything to make the league anti-competitive. We’ve managed 7th,5th,6th and 4th, that can’t carry on with the restrictions in place. So now seems to be as good a time as any to cut the wage billl. They’ve basically recouped £30m a year in wages and if Martinez goes that will be another £5m on top.

Villa had to pay more wages to get re-established after relegation, they’ve managed it to a certain extent so now seems as good a time as any to restructure.

Other teams will think it’s sour grapes but all of the players mentioned are replaceable.

Now if we lost Emery, that would be great cause of anxiety. He’s trusted with what he sees is best for the club and selling Rogers, Konsa and Tielemens has been questioned but he’s trusted to do what’s best. Again there has been no negativity from the club regards to any sales and they’ve gone with best wishes.

Sorry for the loooooong answer.

Interesting. Good luck for the season. Villa Park remains a favourite ground for me, especially last season! Proper ground and largely knowledgeable fans

 

[SH]

Emery has performed miracles with Dean Smiths squad, despite what the press keep reporting Villa have spent very little.

Really? Your wages + depreciation is more than twice Brentford’s. Your gross transfer spend the last 6 years was 6th highest in PL and yet your squad (according to transfermarkt) is worth €10mn less than ours. Just think of those agents’ fees You had to make £114mn of inter company sales to keep the PSR wolf from the door last year (which sadly you can only do once unless you’re Chelsea)… and now the financial chickens are seemingly coming home to roost. But it’s all the fault of “the cartel”…

 

[Gawain]

I also believe that the owners realise that at this moment in time that UEFA/FIFA/EPL are protecting the Cartel so they are doing everything to make the league anti-competitive.

In no position to contradict the rest of your post, I daresay it's very good, but that above bit smells of something that sounds like bullshot.

UEFA are never going to "protect the [PL] cartel", rather they fear/resent it, since the way the PL is increasingly dominating European club competition is leaving the rest of Europe increasingly hacked off.

While FIFA don't give a stuff about this particular aspect of their (general) rivalry with UEFA.

As for the PL, of course the (so-called) "Big Six" would like to protect their own interests, but they are only six out of twenty, and so are regularly outvoted on many issues. While the league as a whole realises that their USP for a world market is that the PL is not dominated by the same single club (Bundesliga, Ligue 1) or two or three clubs (La Liga), but offers genuine competition amongst a far wider number of clubs, with the chasing pack (eg Villa) proving far superior to their counterparts in the other major leagues.

We have long been used to fans of the Big Six claiming that the rest of the PL "has it in for them", while simultaneously fans of the other 14 clubs claim that "it's all rigged against us", in favour of the Big Six, esp clubs trying to break in, like eg Newcastle or, ahem, Villa. (Let's not talk about deluded fools like Leeds or Forest.)

Meanwhile sensible, well-run clubs like eg Brighton, Bournemouth and Brentford don't bother with any of this conspiratorial crap, but just get on with trying to win games and finish as high as possible.

On a cheerier note, thanks for the six points and League Cup shoot-out win last season.

 

[SH]

In no position to contradict the rest of your post, I daresay it's very good, but that above bit smells of something that sounds like bullshot.

UEFA are never going to "protect the [PL] cartel", rather they fear/resent it, since the way the PL is increasingly dominating European club competition is leaving the rest of Europe increasingly hacked off.

While FIFA don't give a stuff about this particular aspect of their (general) rivalry with UEFA.

As for the PL, of course the (so-called) "Big Six" would like to protect their own interests, but they are only six out of twenty, and so are regularly outvoted on many issues. While the league as a whole realises that their USP for a world market is that the PL is not dominated by the same single club (Bundesliga, Ligue 1) or two or three clubs (La Liga), but offers genuine competition amongst a far wider number of clubs, with the chasing pack (eg Villa) proving far superior to their counterparts in the other major leagues.

We have long been used to fans of the Big Six claiming that the rest of the PL "has it in for them", while simultaneously fans of the other 14 clubs claim that "it's all rigged against us", in favour of the Big Six, esp clubs trying to break in, like eg Newcastle or, ahem, Villa. (Let's not talk about deluded fools like Leeds or Forest.)

Meanwhile sensible, well-run clubs like eg Brighton, Bournemouth and Brentford don't bother with any of this conspiratorial crap, but just get on with trying to win games and finish as high as possible.

On a cheerier note, thanks for the six points and League Cup shoot-out win last season.

There’s one simple reason why the Villa and Newcastle protestations about ‘cartel’ are pathetic: they voted FOR the new rules.

The vote taken on 21 November 2025 to replace PSR with the new Squad Cost Ratio (SCR) regime from 2026/27 passed 14–6 — exactly the 14 votes required. The six clubs voting against were Bournemouth, Brentford, Brighton, Crystal Palace, Fulham and Leeds. The ‘Big Six’ didn’t impose SCR on Newcastle and Villa, Newcastle and Villa supplied the votes necessary to impose SCR on themselves. Either one could have stopped it, and the Premier League would have had to go back to the drawing board

 

[Lion82]

Really? Your wages + depreciation is more than twice Brentford’s. Your gross transfer spend the last 6 years was 6th highest in PL and yet your squad (according to transfermarkt) is worth €10mn less than ours. Just think of those agents’ fees You had to make £114mn of inter company sales to keep the PSR wolf from the door last year (which sadly you can only do once unless you’re Chelsea)… and now the financial chickens are seemingly coming home to roost. But it’s all the fault of “the cartel”…

View attachment 68285

You should work for the BBC. I can see you’ve definitely prepared for your agenda. If you would’ve gone spending over the last five years then you would’ve seen Villa were 19th with a net spend of £-29m. You also chose to go down the wage route of 24/25 before the improvements of last season and as I was talking about the current ‘mass exodus’ as you will probably call it.

Ironically if you go by the last five seasons then Brentord are six places above Villa in spending, so what is it. Villa over performing?Brentford under achieving bearing in mind Tranafermarket,( another reliable online source) values your squad at only £10m less than ours?

 

[Jezybee]

Without turning Konsa’s thread into the Villa finances debate; it’s in black & white (and some big red numbers) that Villa’s 2023/24 wages-to-revenues ratio was ~91%.

As this was above all metrics designed to protect clubs long term, brining such a large overspend within limits, particularly UEFA SCR, requires both cutting the numerator, while growing the denominator.

Many clubs have taken the wages gamble to try and achieve success. Villa have fared much better than others with Champions League increasing revenue significantly. Revenue growth was never going to be enough on its own to return to compliance, so it now seems churlish to complain of conspiracies when the numerator was always going to need to be slashed.

Back to topic. Strangely, Konsa has rarely stood out against us and it was only due to being awarded a very soft free kick that Thiago didn’t make him look like a complete mug at Villa Park last season. Also enjoyed the “Aston Villa 0” moniker from the start of last season until Dr Brentford gifted Harvey Elliott the goal in the League Cup.

Not sure why a % sell-on clause would expire, especially for a young player? Understand they can be bought out but would expect such a clause to cover the years of likely peak transfer value. Konsa is 28 and would seem about the age for elite clubs, paying top transfer fees, for ready made 1st XI defenders.

 

[SH]

You should work for the BBC. I can see you’ve definitely prepared for your agenda. If you would’ve gone spending over the last five years then you would’ve seen Villa were 19th with a net spend of £-29m. You also chose to go down the wage route of 24/25 before the improvements of last season and as I was talking about the current ‘mass exodus’ as you will probably call it.

Ironically if you go by the last five seasons then Brentord are six places above Villa in spending, so what is it. Villa over performing?Brentford under achieving bearing in mind Tranafermarket,( another reliable online source) values your squad at only £10m less than ours?

@SwissRamble forecasts you’ll lose another £102mn in 25/26 without the benefit of the one-off asset sales last year. Villa’s £303mn loss in the previous three years (excluding asset sales) is the second worst in the Premier League, only surpassed by Chelsea’s £446mn. The reason you get scepticism or worse on here - at least from me - is that Villa and Newcastle voted WITH the Big 6 to change the financial rules, and all we now hear from Villa and Newcastle fans is bleating about the unfairness of the “cartel.”

You could have voted with the good guys, Bournemouth, Brentford and Brighton, who run their businesses properly, but chose not to. That being the case, we’ll happily take our sell-ons and live within our means.

 

[Lion82]

‘As this was above all metrics designed to protect clubs long term, brining such a large overspend within limits, particularly UEFA SCR, requires both cutting the numerator, while growing the denominator.’

As you said this isn’t to discuss Villas finances however, as Brentford, Brighton and Bournemouth have not only established themselves they now find themselves challenging for European places this is relevant.

The quote above from your post is incredibly naive. PSR and even more so SCR doesn’t really protect clubs from dangerous debt, does it?

It restricts how much they can spend in relation to the revenue they already generate, which favours the ‘Cartel’ clubs. They carry billions of debt in borrowing yet still retain greater spending power because decades of success have built their commercial income. The other clubs are prevented from investing significantly ahead of revenue even if wealthy owners are willing to fund growth with equity rather than debt. So,the richest clubs can spend more because they earn more, which helps them keep winning, qualifying for Europe and earning even more, whilst in reality SCR funnels an increasing share of financial. power towards the clubs that already possess the greatest revenues. On this model Brentford, Villa etc will only ever be to make up the numbers, know their place in footballs hierarchy and be grateful for the scraps thrown in their direction.

The gap will continue to widen unfortunately.

 

[Les Beeavinu]

Ooh, great, thread split so I can ignore it now.

 

[Lion82]

Ooh, great, thread split so I can ignore it now.

My apologies, as a I said this isn’t just a Villa issue. Brentford,`Brighton and Bournemouth have not had one off seasons they’ve consistently improved over the past few years. Yet despite this they will never get near the big six(in name only). I’ll go back to my own team now

 

[BFC1997]

My apologies, as a I said this isn’t just a Villa issue. Brentford,`Brighton and Bournemouth have not had one off seasons they’ve consistently improved over the past few years. Yet despite this they will never get near the big six(in name only). I’ll go back to my own team now

Not sure what is meant by this but we’ve finished ahead of Chelsea, United, Spurs in the table. In the case of Chelsea and Spurs we’ve done that across multiple recent seasons.

Aston Villa have taken players like Rashford, Sancho and Garnacho on loans. That sounds like the very definition of an unsustainable model.

 

[FJBee]

Villa and Forest fans and their cartel and conspiracy theory nonsense. None of it makes sense. Just excuses to try and make themselves look better.

 

[SC]

Isn't the issue that 'teams like' Brentford and Brighton especially, have owners with a vision, are trying and currently succeeding at maintaining a sustainable model. The club is run as one from top to bottom with excellent scouting in place. We lose a manager and yet retain pretty much the same philosophy. That breeds success whereas the basket case clubs like Villa, United, Florist, just throw money at the problem and if that doesn't work, they sack the manager, change the system and buy lots of new players paying stupid wages.

 

[BFC1997]

Villa had to pay more wages to get re-established after relegation

Interesting way of looking at it. Villa just had to pay more in wages to get re-established.

Those other clubs that operate a sustainable model must carry the risk of relegation but the same rule can’t be applied to Villa, who obviously had to re-establish themselves at any cost.

 

[upnorthbee]

Villa and Forest fans and their cartel and conspiracy theory nonsense. None of it makes sense. Just excuses to try and make themselves look better.

Mate they're up there as the biggest whoppers in the league as fans, remember them in the Championship? Absolute bells.

Leeds, Notts Forest, Wolves, Villa all basically the same club with different colours. Same entitled fans who think their clubs as big as Man Utd.

They really should keep selling all their players and win the "it's not fair" league, because as soon as Emery goes we know what happens.

 

[Lion82]

Interesting way of looking at it. Villa just had to pay more in wages to get re-established.

Those other clubs that operate a sustainable model must carry the risk of relegation but the same rule can’t be applied to Villa, who obviously had to re-establish themselves at any cost.

Oh I’m sorry have Villa suddenly been granted immunity to relegation? I’ve seen them play in the 3rd,2nd,1st and now obviously the `EPL. I first had a season ticket the first time in 85 and relegation was soon after this. So I’m not sure I understand your point here.

I don’t think they had much choice with regards to paying higher wages, Birmingham doesn’t have the pull that London has, so to compete in Europe consistently takes resources. A short term deal for Rashford and Asencio was financially more viable and allowed us to get into the quarter finals of the champions league, finish fifth and allow us to compete rather than just turn up. We also received far more revenue for UCL entry and the further we got the more money received.

If you’re happy for a sustainable model to finish top of the other fourteen clubs then you’re on target. That will be your limit under the current rules….

 

[Lion82]

Isn't the issue that 'teams like' Brentford and Brighton especially, have owners with a vision, are trying and currently succeeding at maintaining a sustainable model. The club is run as one from top to bottom with excellent scouting in place. We lose a manager and yet retain pretty much the same philosophy. That breeds success whereas the basket case clubs like Villa, United, Florist, just throw money at the problem and if that doesn't work, they sack the manager, change the system and buy lots of new players paying stupid wages.

‘Teams like’ is this a victim mindset because I never said this?

 

[BFC1997]

I don’t think they had much choice with regards to paying higher wages

It was completely essential to sign Rashford, Sancho, Garnacho and Asensio on loan. You literally had NO CHOICE.

 

[Lion82]

It was completely essential to sign Rashford, Sancho, Garnacho and Asensio on loan. You literally had NO CHOICE.

Ah selective quote repost without context. Enjoy the low hanging fruit and making up the numbers, let’s hope you continue to progress and not regress to where you’ve spent most of your history.

 

[BFC1997]

Ah selective quote repost without context. Enjoy the low hanging fruit and making up the numbers, let’s hope you continue to progress and not regress to where you’ve spent most of your history.

The context is you feel it was “essential” because otherwise you couldn’t have finished 5th or reached the UCL quarter finals.

If you can’t hear how silly that sounds, on several levels, then good luck to you

 

[Les Beeavinu]

Ah selective quote repost without context. Enjoy the low hanging fruit and making up the numbers, let’s hope you continue to progress and not regress to where you’ve spent most of your history.

True colours finally! Now f*** off.

 

[Houghton Bee]

Ironically if you go by the last five seasons then Brentord are six places above Villa in spending, so what is it. Villa over performing?Brentford under achieving bearing in mind Tranafermarket,( another reliable online source) values your squad at only £10m less than ours?

Transfermarket is far from reliable for valuations.

 

[The Joker]

Ah selective quote repost without context. Enjoy the low hanging fruit and making up the numbers, let’s hope you continue to progress and not regress to where you’ve spent most of your history.

Do you expect Villa to finish above Brentford this season? If so, by how many points?

 

[Jay Bee]

Villa, Forest and Newcastle have undoubtedly been restricted by the rules that didn't exist when Chelsea and Man City were firing money all over the place to establish themselves.

However they have spent a lot of money on wages achieving what they have, and burnt a lot of money on loan fees for premium players as BFC1997 points out. These are bad things under the rules they signed up for.

It was completely essential to sign Rashford, Sancho, Garnacho and Asensio on loan. You literally had NO CHOICE.

It's got to be good for football to have these rules otherwise the numbers get bigger and bigger indefinitely and the richest 25 owners would hoover up all the PL places and money and all the Championship promotion spots every year.

 

[upnorthbee]

Ah selective quote repost without context. Enjoy the low hanging fruit and making up the numbers, let’s hope you continue to progress and not regress to where you’ve spent most of your history.

You absolutely stank of insincerity from the start. At least I called your lot bellends from the start. Off you go.

 

[Jay Bee]

Isn't the issue that 'teams like' Brentford and Brighton especially

‘Teams like’ is this a victim mindset because I never said this?

It's a long running joke amongst fans. Teams in the PL, and the Championship, say "we shouldn't be losing to teams like Brentford"
Someone did a "teams like Brentford" T-shirt several years ago.

 

[Ioweddie]

Their finances are a bit better than Sheffield Uniteds.

 

[hanworthbee]

Strange thing to post on a Brentford forum

 

[Ioweddie]

Donovan is on loan at Shef utd

 

[WarrenBee]

Ah selective quote repost without context. Enjoy the low hanging fruit and making up the numbers, let’s hope you continue to progress and not regress to where you’ve spent most of your history.

Jog on, there's a good chap.

 

[Gawain]

If you’re happy for a sustainable model to finish top of the other fourteen clubs then you’re on target. That will be your limit under the current rules….

Er, Brentford FC aren't/weren't "happy" with the new sustainable model, because the club voted against it.

But when they were outvoted, not just by the cartel* [sic], but by eight other, non-cartel clubs, instead of whingeing they just got on with it. And in doing so, the club isn't limiting itself to finishing 7th (though that would be remarkable enough when you consider their history over the last 3/4 century). Of course, that might prove to be a highpoint, but until/unless history proves otherwise, the sky's the limit.

All of which is in stark contrast to clubs who did vote for it, and still whinge - you can probably guess which particular example springs to mind in this context.

Anyhow, unlike a few other posters on here, I don't mind your contributions, especially should they be representative of the wider Villa fanbase - it's illuminating. And in any case, we can always do with a good laugh - in addition to the six points and the Cup win we got from you last season.


* - One dictionary definition of a "cartel" is: "A cartel is a group of independent market participants who collaborate with each other and avoid competing with each other in order to improve their profits and dominate the market."; note the part in bold

 

[jlove]

After perusing this thread and checking my bothered pocket I’ve concluded that Villa’s finances do not matter to me.

 

[Lush55]

Who gives a diddly, we made good money out of them, maybe more to come, plus six points, job jobbed!

 

[Simon C]

After perusing this thread and checking my bothered pocket I’ve concluded that Villa’s finances do not matter to me.

My own personal bothered pocket is in arrears after wasting time reading this nonsense from a shill for a (checks notes) big 6 club the last 3 seasons

 

[ruislip bee]

My own personal bothered pocket is in arrears after wasting time reading this nonsense from a shill for a (checks notes) big 6 club the last 3 seasons

Pretty sure we played them in the div 1 and the Championship as we did Forest. Big clubs - my arse!

 

[cd1994]

just seen on twitter that Everton are in for Matty Cash

 

[CTBee]

Pretty sure we played them in the div 1 and the Championship as we did Forest. Big clubs - my arse!

Only in the championship

 

[Leonardo]

I can see Emery walking out before Christmas.

 

[stomalomalus]

As you said this isn’t to discuss Villas finances however, as Brentford, Brighton and Bournemouth have not only established themselves they now find themselves challenging for European places this is relevant.

The quote above from your post is incredibly naive. PSR and even more so SCR doesn’t really protect clubs from dangerous debt, does it?

It restricts how much they can spend in relation to the revenue they already generate, which favours the ‘Cartel’ clubs. They carry billions of debt in borrowing yet still retain greater spending power because decades of success have built their commercial income. The other clubs are prevented from investing significantly ahead of revenue even if wealthy owners are willing to fund growth with equity rather than debt. So,the richest clubs can spend more because they earn more, which helps them keep winning, qualifying for Europe and earning even more, whilst in reality SCR funnels an increasing share of financial. power towards the clubs that already possess the greatest revenues. On this model Brentford, Villa etc will only ever be to make up the numbers, know their place in footballs hierarchy and be grateful for the scraps thrown in their direction.

The gap will continue to widen unfortunately.

So why did your club vote FOR these rules, then? Limiting the chances of us and other clubs in similar situations to make up the ground on...let's think...who could it be...

Oh yes, your club.

We have all signed up to play by the rules. Some of us didn't want to sign up, some (like your club) did want to. So while we are not complaining about the rules that were foisted upon us...you are bleating about those rules (that your club voted for) being a cartel. Surely that means, therefore, that you're part of the cartel?

And if not, what leverage over your club did this cartel have that could possibly be strong enough to "Force you" to cut costs and limit spending?

 

[kaebess]

No more replies needed to our visitor. Les took the best decision and asked him to stop posting after he decided to state we should go back to where we belong.
Shame, I like other teams supporters on here but like many others he couldn’t help himself. Bye bye

 

[nick logan]

I can see Emery walking out before Christmas.

Ooh you are awful

 

[A Real Mysteron]

Ah selective quote repost without context. Enjoy the low hanging fruit and making up the numbers, let’s hope you continue to progress and not regress to where you’ve spent most of your history.

The mask has slipped!

 

[Banana]

Ah selective quote repost without context. Enjoy the low hanging fruit and making up the numbers, let’s hope you continue to progress and not regress to where you’ve spent most of your history.

Bottom half for you lot this season. Fact with added true

Bye bye.

 

[stevil]

Never mind all that, what the hell have they done to Garnacho?

 

[JANORAK]

just seen on twitter that Everton are in for Matty Cash

Easily transferable then. A couple of suitcases handed over at Leek Services.

 

[Untouchable]

Crypto betting


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