Dean Smith reveals what he knows about Aston Villa owners amid transfer concerns
Aston Villa’s start to the new season has been nothing short of a disaster so far.
Villa’s lack of spending has risked undoing all the good work Unai Emery has done in B6 since his appointment back in 2022.
Even the key members of his squad, such as Ollie Watkins and Emi Martinez, are ageing, and if Villa want to ensure they continue to compete at the top end of the Premier League, Monchi must ensure he replaces the pair adequately when the time comes.
Despite Richard Keys recently claiming PSR is not to blame for Villa’s lack of spending, former manager Dean Smith has suggested otherwise.
Aston Villa owners are ‘not allowed to spend’ claims Dean Smith
Alongside the lack of additions, the likes of Morgan Rogers have seen their form plummet at the start of the new campaign to further pile the pressure on Emery.
Speaking on the Monday Night Club, former Villa boss Smith, who now manages in the MLS with Charlotte, claims that despite NSWE’s obvious wealth, they are not allowed to spend.
“Yes, the owners have got the money, but they’re probably not allowed to spend it as well as they could,” he said.
“I think you’ve got to credit Unai (Emery) for how well he’s done over the last three years already because he hasn’t brought loads of players in since he’s been there, he’s worked with what he’s got and improved them.
Whilst the PSR rules in their current form are clearly not fit for purpose, some of the financial trouble Villa have had has been self-inflicted.
Paying extortionate wages to the likes of Donyell Malen are old pieces of business that Monchi and Co. are surely living to regret now.
Dean Smith makes Ollie Watkins claim that will provide comfort to supporters
Much has been made of the Villans’ toothless attack to begin the new campaign, but with the quality they have at their disposal, it is only a matter of time before they turn this around.
Watkins will likely be the most frustrated to have not opened his account for the season yet, but Smith claimed the England international will ultimately come good again.
“Watkins guarantees you 15 goals a season, so he will come through and score goals,” Smith said.
- Watkins has scored 15 or more Premier League goals for the previous three seasons
- This season, his service has been limited, however
- Watkins has an xG of just 1.1 so far, suggesting Villa have struggled from a creative standpoint
Despite the Brentford game on Tuesday only being the third round of the Carabao Cup, Emery may be tempted to field a full-strength lineup in a bid to inject their season with some much-needed momentum.
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