Aston Villa's former chief Keith Wyness has suggested that the club could make a calculated gamble in January to maintain their Champions League status. Speaking on the latest edition of Football Insider's Inside Track podcast, the 66-year-old, who served as CEO at Villa Park from 2016 to 2018, indicated that additional transfer investment may hinge on their performances in the league phase of the competition, especially with Unai Emery's side already securing two wins in their European campaign.
Aston Villa have triumphed over Young Boys and Bayern Munich this season, with a forthcoming home clash against Bologna on 22 October. The Midlands club finished fourth last season to qualify for the Champions League and currently sit fifth in the Premier League standings. During the summer transfer window, Emery's side brought in Amadou Onana, Ian Maatsen, and Jaden Philogene to reinforce the squad.
Wyness expressed confidence that Villa might pursue further transfers in the January window if their positive momentum in Europe continues. He remarked, "This is the football conundrum. You want to be a Champions League club, but you can't necessarily spend the budget to maintain it. A lot will depend on how well they do in the Champions League, and we'll know pretty soon. They've had two wins already, that's £4 million-plus already in the coffers. If they qualify for the knockout stage, the temptation will be to spend that to carry on finishing in the top four. There's a long way to go, but at Christmas, they'll be looking at making a calculated gamble. That's where the good owners come through and make good decisions which come through on the pitch. They've got such a settled group with Emery and Monchi, and I think they'll give it a go. It would be an amazing rise over the past few years, and I wish them good luck."
In other news, Aston Villa are reportedly plotting an ambitious swoop for a defender as they look to bolster their squad further this season.