What Unai Emery was told about Aston Villa player sales this summer after net spend reveal

Aston Villa have endured another transfer window of frustrating player sales.

The Villans finished fourth in the Premier League last season, and of course were victorious in the final of the Europa League.

It means Villa are headed back to Europe's top table to play in the Champions League next season.

But despite those successes, Villa still have to tread the line to meet UEFA's financial parameters set out as part of a settlement for past breaches.

That has played a significant part in Villa's thinking in the transfer window again, with a need to trade in order to buy.

And now, a new report has shared what Unai Emery was told about the situation.

What was Unai Emery told about Aston Villa's transfer window?

The biggest frustration for Villa fans is that the price of success appears to be regularly seeing their best players poached elsewhere.

It has happened again this summer, with Youri Tielemans sold to Manchester United for £35million and their prized asset Morgan Rogers departing for Chelsea in a £117m transfer.

While it may be a frustration to Villa boss Emery, the Spaniard was seemingly aware of what may happen this summer.

Writing in the Athletic, Jacob Tanswell reported how Emery was told heading into the summer that selling would once again be Villa's primary method for sustainably.

Villa have reinvested some of the cash, too, with Johan Manzambi and Joao Gomes arriving in full transfers.

Alejandro Garnacho has also joined on loan from Chelsea with an obligation to make the deal permanent if certain obligations are met.

How do Aston Villa rank in terms of net spend?

Tanswell revealed how Villa fare in terms of net spend among Premier League clubs among the three full campaigns he has in charge for since the start of 2023/24.

It shows that only Midlands rivals Wolves (-£150m) have a lower net spend than Villa's minus-£62m.

Given Wolves have now been relegated, it means that Villa have the lowest net spend in that period among active Premier League teams.

It just shows what a really good job Emery has been doing to have Villa compete with the best in the division considering the constraints he has had to work under over the past few seasons.