Aston Villa are reportedly set to be hit with an eye-watering fine after breaching UEFA spending rules.
The Midlands side have enjoyed a stunning first season back in the Champions League. Unai Emery’s men secured an automatic spot in the knockout rounds after finishing eighth in the league stage.
Despite their excellent form, Villa will face some serious sanctions for their spending on wages in particular. The Deloitte Football Money League suggests that Villa’s wage-to-revenue turnover sat at 96 percent last term - up from 94 percent the previous year.
And according to The Times, that goes over the UEFA squad cost ratio limit of 90 percent. As a result, Villa are likely to have to pay a ‘several-million pound’ fine due to their breach. UEFA’s limits are set to fall over the coming season with the current limit at 80 percent, while it will reduce further to 70 percent ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.
Should Villa receive a fine, it will be the second time alone this season that they have had to come to a settlement with the European governing body. They were also instructed to pay a £50,670 (€60,000) fine in September after being accused of submitting their financial information late.
Villa boss Unai Emery has already suggested that spending rules are at the forefront of Villa’s thinking when it comes to the transfer market. Speaking last month, he said: “Of course profit and sustainability rules are sometimes stopping us in how we can improve, but the idea is to try to keep moving forward.
“Being in the Champions League gives us a better chance to do that, as does qualifying for the Europa League or the Conference League.
“We have to be intelligent. We have to use different ways to improve our squad. If we have to sell players, do it, but always with the idea of replacing them with someone who can improve us.” He added: “The club is always looking forward and trying to increase our financial capacity.”
Villa attempted to rebalance the books in the January transfer window with a host of lucrative sales. Striker Jhon Duran was the headline exit as he completed a big-money move to Saudi side Al-Nassr.
Jaden Philogene and Diego Carlos were sold to Ipswich and Fenerbahce respectively. They did reinvest some of that money with a move for former Borussia Dortmund star Donyell Malen, while Marcus Rashford, Axel Disasi and Marco Asensio all signed on loan.