Villa 'need Champions League football' next season
[Getty Images] Europa League quarter-finalists Aston Villa's financial position has left them struggling to compete in the transfer market. Two years ago, when they reached the Champions League, they had to sell Douglas Luiz to Juventus for £42. 5m to balance the books.
Last summer academy graduate Jacob Ramsey joined Newcastle for £40m. Returning to the Champions League will solve many financial headaches for Villa and potentially allow them to spend and strengthen. The club feel adhering to the Premier League and Uefa financial rules is unfair.
They agree there needs to be regulation but believe the regulations do not work alongside each other. England's top-flight clubs have voted to move to a system called squad cost ratio (SCR) next season. This allows teams to spend 85% of their income on player costs, although a complicated set of factors means clubs could go as high as 115%.
Uefa's SCR spending limit is 70%, which all clubs in the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League must adhere to. European football expert Julien Laurens told BBC Radio 5 Live: "They need Champions League football next season. They need that money to balance the books.
"We know the restrictions are there financially. They need that money or they will have to sell players. "It's crucial for them - whether they do it by winning the Europa League or finishing top five in the Premier League, right now they can't prioritise one over the other.