FFP

[algy]

Yeah, absolutely agree Ads. I don’t think we’d have chosen the circumstances we’re rebuilding in, but we’ve all accepted that over the next 5-6 seasons we’d need to rebuild the entire squad anyway, so maybe it’s come at the right time for us.

Any other manager I’d be worried at this stage, with Emery I’m quietly confident that we’ll come out of it better off.

[Somniloquism]

I believe the logic is the extra revenue from the European competition means the 85% becomes about 70% given the bigger income.  Probably stacks with CL money but will cause issues for teams qualifying for the Conference League.

Thanks DL that makes a lot of sense. Cue people actively trying not to win the League Cup or finish 7th or 8th.

Like Chelsea last season.

[Villatillidie25]

Yeah, absolutely agree Ads. I don’t think we’d have chosen the circumstances we’re rebuilding in, but we’ve all accepted that over the next 5-6 seasons we’d need to rebuild the entire squad anyway, so maybe it’s come at the right time for us.

Any other manager I’d be worried at this stage, with Emery I’m quietly confident that we’ll come out of it better off.

I think we fully expected to lose Rogers this summer, planned/expected for Digne to go (release clause) but didn't expect/want Tielemans to go but the release clause needed for his contract meant it was always a risk. So other than Gomes (Tielemans replacement) and Paulinha (Onana injury) which are basically all financially like for like, I think what's happening is what we planned for...

[chrisw1]

Yeah, absolutely agree Ads. I don’t think we’d have chosen the circumstances we’re rebuilding in, but we’ve all accepted that over the next 5-6 seasons we’d need to rebuild the entire squad anyway, so maybe it’s come at the right time for us.

Any other manager I’d be worried at this stage, with Emery I’m quietly confident that we’ll come out of it better off.

I think you're right.

I felt that Emery just wanted to qualify for CL for a second season on the bounce, as that really seems to be the key to unlocking the SCR handcuffs.  I reckon in an ideal world, he would have pretty much 'gone again' with just a little bit of tweaking around the edges of the squad.  It's not to be, so we are getting on with it.  This season will now be a real test, losing Rogers and Tielmans in the same window is brutal.  Qualifying for the CL again this season would be a remarkable achievement.

[paul_e]

Yeah, absolutely agree Ads. I don’t think we’d have chosen the circumstances we’re rebuilding in, but we’ve all accepted that over the next 5-6 seasons we’d need to rebuild the entire squad anyway, so maybe it’s come at the right time for us.

Any other manager I’d be worried at this stage, with Emery I’m quietly confident that we’ll come out of it better off.

I think you're right.

I felt that Emery just wanted to qualify for CL for a second season on the bounce, as that really seems to be the key to unlocking the SCR handcuffs.  I reckon in an ideal world, he would have pretty much 'gone again' with just a little bit of tweaking around the edges of the squad.  It's not to be, so we are getting on with it.  This season will now be a real test, losing Rogers and Tielmans in the same window is brutal.  Qualifying for the CL again this season would be a remarkable achievement.

Yep, I reckon that was the hope for this window and then the big rebuild next summer, with a nice new north stand as the backdrop.

Tielemans and Digne forced our hand in the end really and I suspect they decided to bring things forward a bit as a result.

My feeling is that they wanted this season to really push a few of the youngsters so part of the rebuild was around Cisse, Hemmings, Burrowes, Madjo and maybe Alysson all being bedded in and ready to fill out the squad.

[Tuscans]

Chelseas £117m transfer sends them out of the negative into top 4 - Aston Villa has a massive negative net spend now as well.

[Todd Packer]

Apologies if this has been posted elsewhere....

Saved from   
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2026/07/21/aston-villa-sold-400m-talent-still-struggling-balance-books/

Aston Villa have sold £400m of talent – now comes the rebuild
Club putting faith in Emery’s ability to punch above weight after selling Rogers for £117m to comply with Uefa’s spending restrictions

Morgan Rogers
Morgan Rogers has been sold to Chelsea for £117m Credit: Neville Williams/Aston Villa FC via Getty Images
John Percy
Show biography
John Percy
Published 21 July 2026 7:00am BST

Aston Villa have eased the pressure to sell more talent after the £117m exit of Morgan Rogers to Chelsea, as Unai Emery rebuilds his squad for the Champions League.
Villa’s record sale of Rogers was agreed over the weekend and will alleviate the strain to offload further first-team players this summer.
Youri Tielemans joined Manchester United last week for £35m, while Rogers started his medical on Monday ahead of becoming the most expensive English player of all time.
Villa are continuing to operate under tough financial restrictions imposed by Uefa as part of a three-year settlement agreement. Those restrictions mean that Villa will have to remain cautious on spending this summer, despite securing the return of Champions League football.
Telegraph Sport examines the financial landscape and what it could mean for Emery’s plans.
Will Villa have to make any more sales?
Villa are determined to resist any more major sales but the simple truth is they may have to accept another departure this summer.
While Rogers’s sale will go a long way to ensuring compliance for the 2025-26 season, there is still a degree of pressure to conform with the football earnings rule (essentially Uefa’s version of profitability and sustainability rules).
That means that another sale could be possible. Juventus are interested in goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez, while Arsenal are tracking defender Ezri Konsa.
Ezri Konsa
Defender Ezri Konsa is of interest to Arsenal Credit: Stefano Rellandini/AFP via Getty Images
While the message from Villa at the moment is “no more sales”, it will come down to a number of factors: if the player wants to leave, if Emery agrees, if the offer is big enough and whether age comes into play.
Emery is intent on bringing the average age down and this explains why Villa broke their own transfer record to sign Johan Manzambi, 20, from Freiburg. The Switzerland international is regarded as a player with huge potential for growth who can play in a number of positions.
There are some sales expected this week, but not any of Emery’s key players. Lucas Digne is poised to join Paris St-Germain while Leon Bailey is a target for Premier League newcomers Hull City.
Villa are comfortable with any scenario because of Emery. With him in charge, they feel able to overcome adversity and have total faith that he will embark on a new cycle.
The other good news is that Rogers’s sale eases immediate pressure on Villa to raise money and allows them to plan properly for next summer.
Can Villa spend all the Rogers money on new players?
Villa do not have the capacity to invest huge amounts of money unless players leave.
This is down to the squad cost ratio (SCR), which limits the amount a club spend on player wages, transfers and agent fees to 70 per cent of revenue. It is unfair, and Villa remain frustrated about it. Emery has proved an outstanding appointment but there is no question the rules are preventing him from further disrupting the elite. Club owners Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens are also hugely ambitious, but limited on what they can spend.
Chelsea finished 13 points behind Villa in the Premier League last season and do not have European football this year, but still have the ability to flex their financial muscles by signing Rogers for a record fee.
Villa will of course spend, with Brazilian midfielder João Gomes completing a £35m move from Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Aston Villa
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Aston Villa is delighted to announce the signing of João Gomes 🇧🇷
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They are also in talks with AC Milan to sign former Brighton and Hove Albion left-back Pervis Estupiñán.
The next major target is a winger, with PSG’s Ibrahim Mbaye and West Ham United’s Crysencio Summerville emerging as two top choices. Breaking their transfer record again is unlikely, though.
Crysencio Summerville
Crysencio Summerville is on Villa’s radar. but they have to tread carefully  Credit: Kate McShane/Getty Images
Emery wants a wide player with pace who is capable of playing on both sides. He felt his team were too reliant on the speed of Ollie Watkins on the break last season and wants a new winger to make Villa more dynamic.
How Villa have become elite sellers in the Premier League
Villa have now raised more than £400m in player sales since Emery’s appointment, which has rather gone under the radar.
While much of the focus has been on Villa’s grapples to comply with strict Uefa rules, the ability to sell for vast profit deserves more recognition.

The headline departures that banked Villa more than £400m
Morgan Rogers
Bought from Middlesbrough: (£8.5m)
Sold to Chelsea: £117m
Jhon Duran
Bought from Chicago Fire: (£18m)
Sold to Al-Nassr: £65m
Moussa Diaby
Bought from Bayer Leverkusen: (£50m)
Sold to Al-Ittihad: (£50m)
Douglas Luiz
Bought from Manchester City: (£15m)
Sold to Juventus: (£45m)
Youri Tielemans
Free transfer from Leicester
Sold to Manchester United: (£35m)
Jacob Ramsey
Academy product
Sold to Newcastle: (£40m)
Aaron Ramsey
Academy product
Sold to Burnley: (£15m)
Jaden Philogene
Academy product
Sold to Ipswich: (£20m)
Cameron Archer
Academy product
Sold to Southampton: (£18m)
It is Brighton who are usually renowned as the benchmark for a selling club outside of the “big six”. Their business model is to discover young players with potential, develop them under excellent coaching staff and then sell at the best time. With Villa under so much pressure to decrease their squad cost ratio, they have had no option but to follow Brighton’s strategy. Sales have become crucial, as has Emery’s ability to improve players.
Take Rogers. Signed for an initial £8.5m from Middlesbrough, after impressing against Villa in an FA Cup tie, he is now the most expensive English player at £117m. He has progressed rapidly under the coaching of Emery to become a regular England international and one of the best wide No 10s in the Premier League.
There have been other notable sales. Tielemans joined Villa on a free transfer and was sold to Manchester United earlier this month for £35m. A model professional and captain of the Belgium national team, he actually started slowly at Villa before adapting to Emery’s methods.
Jhon Durán, the Colombian forward, was sold for £65m to Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr after arriving as a raw teenager at a cost of £18m.
Villa escaped a points deduction by selling Douglas Luiz (signed from Manchester City for £15m) to Juventus for a £27m profit in June 2024.
Sales of academy graduates Jacob and Aaron Ramsey, Jaden Philogene and Cameron Archer have also raised about £90m in pure profit. It is a strength of Villa to sell that has made a difficult situation much easier.

[Percy McCarthy]

^^ It’s an economic and sporting miracle.

As well as everything outlined above (amazing player trading, including the second or third most profitable academy since 2020*)…

From the 24/25 accounts:

Total Revenue up 37% (up 6 places in rankings** to 14th).

Hospitality revenue up 58% from 46m to 73m (up 11 places in rankings to 15th).

Commercial revenue up 46% from 56m to 81m (up 16 places in rankings to 22nd).

Kit & Merch up 349% from 6m to 26m (up 37 places in rankings to 23rd).

UEFA Revenue up 425% from 16m to 84m

*On the last graphic I’ve seen we were second, although I think I’ve read that we may have dropped to third behind Chelsea & Man City).

**all the rankings mentioned are global.

There will probably be a dip or a plateau in the next set of accounts, but we have CL next season and increase in capacity the year after, and hopefully the success of The Warehouse to contribute to revenue and as a blueprint for further developments around the ground.

The closer we get to being able to match financially more powerful clubs, the less pressure we’ll be under to sell players we don’t want to, and the less pressure we’ll be under to insert player-favourable release clauses etc. A virtuous circle.

[andyh]

What we have done over the last few years IS an economic and financial miracle. There is no doubt about that.
The growth in revenue is incredible, but it can’t be sustained at the same level, the same pace, surely ?

For me, the front of shirt sponsor shows the difficulties we now face.
Our stock has never been higher. Our exposure has never been greater.

Yet, it appears we couldn’t attract a deal from a commercial company that pays ‘fair market value (£26m)’ to put their name on our shirt.

As I say, the revolution that Villa has undergone to increase revenue is quite remarkable.

But, I don’t know how we maintain or increase those levels over the next few years.

[Tuscans]

What we have done over the last few years IS an economic and financial miracle. There is no doubt about that.
The growth in revenue is incredible, but it can’t be sustained at the same level, the same pace, surely ?

For me, the front of shirt sponsor shows the difficulties we now face.
Our stock has never been higher. Our exposure has never been greater.

Yet, it appears we couldn’t attract a deal from a commercial company that pays ‘fair market value (£26m)’ to put their name on our shirt.

As I say, the revolution that Villa has undergone to increase revenue is quite remarkable.

But, I don’t know how we maintain or increase those levels over the next few years.

By winning.

[aev]

That J Percy article doesn't seem to be as optimistic as I'd have hoped.

[Percy McCarthy]

What we have done over the last few years IS an economic and financial miracle. There is no doubt about that.
The growth in revenue is incredible, but it can’t be sustained at the same level, the same pace, surely ?

For me, the front of shirt sponsor shows the difficulties we now face.
Our stock has never been higher. Our exposure has never been greater.

Yet, it appears we couldn’t attract a deal from a commercial company that pays ‘fair market value (£26m)’ to put their name on our shirt.

As I say, the revolution that Villa has undergone to increase revenue is quite remarkable.

But, I don’t know how we maintain or increase those levels over the next few years.

By winning.

Yes, that’s vital. But in reference to what Andy said, ‘at the same pace’ is unlikely. I posted this list somewhere the other day.

2018/19 £54.3m
2019/20 £112.6m
2020/21 £207m
2021/22 £211m
2022/23 £244m
2023/24 £310m
2024/25 £378m

That can’t continue at the same pace, but is it absolutely imperative that it does? Can say £400/500m a year sustain a squad of 25 players and a top coach and football infrastructure at or near the top of the league? We have the financial capacity to acquire players from anywhere in the world. I think that once we reach a certain level of revenue, scouting, coaching, motivation and tactics can be the most important factor.

[Dogtanian]

I think I am right in saying that we have recorded the highest non 'protected 6' revenue ever. Newcastle may have beaten that last season, I'm not sure. But that shows the progress we are making.

We still have another £12-13m revenue to come from the new North, plus the extra hospitality seats they're adding to the Trinity-Holte corner and any sponsorship they get from the training ground, training kit, etc.

I think our issue with front of shirt sponsors is that while the fair market value may be £26m, that's based on a really good last 3 years. There will no doubt be scepticism about whether or not we can sustain it. Are we going to carry on or have we had our spell and are now going to have another bad period?

Nobody will want to be the ones who sponsor us a stupid amount of money only to be the ones who are on our shirt when we slip back down to mid-table.

[andyh]

Again…..great points by Percy above. And I do agree. I’m not being at all being negative.
But we DO need to maintain the pace of revenue growth, because all of the ‘big 6’ are still operating at levels way,way above us and will continue to grow at their rates. Basically we are growing to stand still in relation to that lot.

It’s HOW we do it. We can’t keep fleecing the fans, that’s for sure.

[Percy McCarthy]

Yes, it’s a good point Andy and correct, it’s just semantics where I slightly disagree.

The same pace as the last six years would see us on £2bn a year in another six.

Heck thought that £400m would be enough to make us competitive with the biggest clubs. I think we can exceed that quite soon with continued playing success (leading to increased matchday & commercial income) and around-the-ground development. I think the owners do too.