Aston Villa are currently grappling with significant financial challenges, primarily stemming from a substantial increase in their wage bill during the previous season. This assessment comes from finance expert Stefan Borson, who provided a detailed analysis to Football Insider regarding the financial pressures facing the West Midlands club.
Recent figures from Deloitte's 2025 Money League reveal that Aston Villa's revenue rose from £218 million in the 2022-23 season to an impressive £265 million last season. However, this financial growth has been overshadowed by a concerning escalation in their wage expenditure, which surged from £194 million to £252 million following the club's qualification for the Champions League for the 2023-24 season.
Borson emphasised that the squad, under the management of Unai Emery, is approaching the profit and sustainability (PSR) limits established for Premier League clubs, which permit losses of no more than £105 million over a rolling three-year period. To ensure compliance with these financial regulations, Villa took proactive steps by offloading players such as Douglas Luiz, Tim Iroegbunam, and Omari Kellyman ahead of the 30 June accounting deadline.
The financial expert highlighted the complexities clubs encounter when striving for Champions League qualification while attempting to maintain a wage bill below the £250 million threshold. He stated, "It's a problem that all clubs have got when they are trying to break from historical careful management of the wage bill into the Champions League. If you want to break into the Champions League, to do it with a wage bill of less than £250 million is really hard in the Premier League, so they decided to invest."
Borson further noted that performance-related bonuses linked to their Champions League qualification likely contributed to the inflated wage figure of £252 million. He cautioned, "The problem is, that's almost all of their revenue. When you look at it like that, you have got an enormous problem from an operating perspective, and that's also not sustainable. What they did, as we know, is they sold a number of players before the 30 June to generate the profit necessary to fill that gap. You can't keep doing that and the problem compounds over time."
In a related development, Aston Villa are reportedly considering a late transfer move for Besiktas forward Semih Kilicsoy. This potential acquisition underscores the club's ongoing efforts to bolster their squad amid a challenging financial landscape. As the situation evolves, supporters are encouraged to stay updated through the club's official social media channels.