Aston Villa are on the brink of a significant financial boost, with projections suggesting they could secure approximately £70 million in prize money this season, contingent on their performance in the UEFA Champions League. Financial analyst Stefan Borson shared these insights exclusively with Football Insider, indicating that this figure could rise should the team progress further in the tournament.
Recent data from Deloitte's 2025 Money League highlights a remarkable increase in Villa's revenue, which surged from £218 million in the 2022-23 season to an impressive £265 million in the subsequent year. However, this financial growth has not come without its challenges, as the club has also seen a substantial rise in wage expenditure, which escalated from £194 million to £252 million following their qualification for the Champions League in the 2023-24 season.
Last season, under the guidance of Unai Emery, Villa appeared to be nearing the profit and sustainability (PSR) threshold, which restricts Premier League clubs to a maximum loss of £105 million over a rolling three-year period. In order to comply with these financial regulations, Villa executed strategic transfers, including the departures of Douglas Luiz, Tim Iroegbunam, and Omari Kellyman, ahead of the 30 June accounting deadline.
Currently, Villa find themselves in ninth place in the newly structured league phase of the Champions League, preparing for a pivotal final group match against Celtic. A victory in this encounter would secure their advancement to the last 16 of the tournament. Borson remarked, "The positive thing for Villa is they are on course at the moment to generate probably £70 million so far. Their target is probably £70-80 million. If they keep going in the Champions League, maybe it could be even more. That makes a big difference for this season. It will mitigate the number of sales they need to make before 30 June."
Despite this optimistic financial outlook, Borson cautioned that the club is still grappling with the financial pressures associated with Champions League participation. He explained, "But they are likely still to be tight because the other part of being in the Champions League is you invest when you go in, so we know that they bought players in the summer that will have increased their amortisation and their wage bill even beyond the £250 million."
Borson estimated that Villa's current wage bill could be around £300 million, with amortisation adding an additional £100 million. He warned, "But their revenue is probably still not much more than £350 million, so you have got to make up that hole. The only way you can do it is either by selling intra-group assets like property. I don't know if Villa have got anything they can sell to a subsidiary of themselves or the women's team once we see what happens with the Chelsea women's team. But anyway, Villa's women's team is nowhere near as valuable as Chelsea's."
He further added, "The alternative is you have to sell footballers, and that is painful because the sorts of players that are likely to need to go are the young players that will generate most of the profit that you need. We will just have to see with Villa. It's definitely still going to be tight, but they are doing as good a job as you can imagine in the Champions League to bridge that gap."
In addition to their financial considerations, Aston Villa are reportedly contemplating a late move to acquire Besiktas forward Semih Kilicsoy, a potential addition that could bolster their attacking options. As the season progresses, fans will be keen to see how Villa navigate these financial challenges while striving for success on the European stage.