Aston Villa are one of the most valuable clubs in the world but are still likely to have to sell players to satisfy rules this summer
Aston Villa owners L-R Wes Edens and Nassef Sawiris
Aston Villa owners L-R Wes Edens and Nassef Sawiris
(Image: Birmingham Mail)
The contrariness of modern day football is highlighted by two stories on our Aston Villa pages right now; one that the club has been named one of the top 30 most valuable in the world and another that Unai Emery will probably be forced to sell this summer to satisfy the game's financial rules.
Villa have coined about £220m in the last 12 months or so by selling the likes of Douglas Luiz, Tim Iroegbunam, Omari Kellyman, Moussa Diaby, Jhon Durán, Diego Carlos and Jaden Philogene, while the coffers have been filled by reaching the Champions League quarter-finals and challenging at the right end of the Premier League in front of a packed stadium.
The club is said to be worth $900 million now, up $100m over the last 12 months, with revenue rising to a whopping $343m, a brand worth $109m, almost jaw dropping income from broadcasting and owned by billionaires Wes Edens and Nassef Sawiris.
But transfer vultures are circling because of the Premier League's profitability and sustainability regulations and UEFA's squad cost ratio rules. That is also the explanation behind Manchester United apparently considering the sale of star man Bruno Fernandes to Saudi Arabia, where Duran went in January and where Amadou Onana is now being linked.
It has led to a blast by leading football writer Martin Samuel in the Sunday Times, warning that the Premier League should be alarmed by the loss of talent to other leagues, just as World Cup winner Emi Martinez is being tipped for a move to clubs such as Atletico Madrid.
He writes: "Sirens should sound if Fernandes goes. He would be an enormous loss to the club and the competition, and he is still in his prime at 30.
"Richard Masters, the league’s chief executive, insists he is very relaxed about the threat of Saudi Arabia. He’s asleep at the wheel, if so.
"Last weekend Match of the Day held its goal-of-the-season competition, whittled down to six finalists.
"The first entry was scored by Jhon Durán, once of Aston Villa, now with Al-Nassr. Harry Kane’s understudy at England, Ivan Toney, is in Saudi Arabia too, with Al-Ahli. If the captain of United departs now it will be like the ravens leaving the tower, certainly for United.
"It would also be a game changer for English football. Is this what we do now? Pass raft after raft of regulations until clubs bleed out?
"Like Leicester City. Theirs was a narrative reverberating around the globe, without doubt they improved the Premier League’s standing. Now Leicester are pursued into the leagues below, such is the desire for vengeance having made mistakes.
"Think of the most positive stories this year and the clubs involved — Nottingham Forest, Aston Villa, Bournemouth — all have endured skirmishes and more over financial regulation in recent years. Is this making English football more attractive?
"As it continues to leak talent to foreign leagues, from Kane to Toney to Michael Olise or Dean Huijsen, it does not look it."