Aston Villa on ‘wrong side of history’ as Kieran Maguire shares PSR conspiracy theory
Aston Villa have been caught between a rock and a hard place in the transfer market this summer.
Unai Emery will have been desperate to strengthen the options within his squad, as they bid to secure a return to Champions League football next term.
The B6 outfit had a taste of Europe’s premier club competition last time out, and they will now have designs on becoming a regular feature in the top four of the Premier League.
However, Villa’s ability to strengthen has been badly hampered by their PSR concerns this summer, and it has left them in a position where, realistically, they need to sell to be able to buy.
Maguire feels Aston Villa are hard done by with PSR
Villa’s issues with the Premier League’s PSR restrictions seem set to prevent them from adding to their ranks in number this summer.
That should, in theory, reduce the likelihood of Emery’s charges being able to compete for Champions League football, given that their current squad narrowly missed out on the final day in 2024/25.
- Villa spent around £185million on transfer fees last summer.
- Their spending is down to around £6m this summer.
- Only Crystal Palace and Fulham have spent less in the Premier League so far, via transfermarkt.
Several clubs have experienced difficulties in recent seasons when trying to fall in line with the league’s PSR restrictions, and football finance expert Kieran Maguire believes that there could be an ulterior motive behind the implication of the rules.
Maguire, while replying to a Newcastle fan on X (31 July), shared that he feels that clubs like Villa, Nottingham Forest and Newcastle are “on the wrong side of history” when it comes to PSR.
The expert then went on to suggest that the rules are present to try and stop ambitious clubs from challenging the Premier League’s elite, rather than in the guise of sustainability.
Villa can’t afford to lose key stars
Villa simply cannot afford to lose any of their key players this summer, given how difficult they are finding it to spend on new faces at the moment.
Emery is going to have to focus on maximising every last ounce of ability from the players he has at his disposal this term, but even that may not be enough when you consider the spending that has gone on around them.
| Club | Spend |
| Liverpool | £266m |
| Chelsea | £210m |
| Arsenal | £193m |
| Manchester City | £152m |
| Manchester United | £132m |
| Tottenham | £121m |
The ‘big six’ are now the clubs who the Villans are competing with, and all six are understood to have spent in excess of at least £120m on new talent this summer.
With that in mind, Villa are going to face a tall order to secure Champions League football as it is, and that’s before you consider the possibility of their squad becoming weaker before 1 September.
Emery has overseen a drastic turnaround since he stepped into the dugout in B6, but if he can guide Villa back to the top four this season, it could be one of his greatest achievements yet.
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