Unai Emery fears Aston Villa will have to sell key players unless they qualify for the Champions League again – as boss admits PSR rules are ‘sometimes stopping us’
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Aston Villa face having to sell key players unless they can qualify for the Champions League again – or go a long way in this season’s competition.
Unai Emery‘s side finished fourth in the Premier League last term to reach Europe’s biggest club competition and are now on the verge of the knockout stages.
But repeating that finish looks difficult this time around and Villa are restricted by Premier League spending rules, despite being owned by billionaires Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens.
Boss Emery said: ‘Of course profit and sustainability rules are sometimes stopping us in how we can improve, but the idea is to try to keep moving forward.
‘Being in the Champions League gives us a better chance to do that, as does qualifying for the Europa League or the Conference League.
‘We have to be intelligent. We have to use different ways to improve our squad.
Unai Emery fears Aston Villa will have to sell unless they qualify for the Champions League
Villa would turn a huge profit if they were to offload the likes of Morgan Rogers (pictured)
‘If we have to sell players, do it, but always with the idea of replacing them with someone who can improve us.’
Villa want to sign Dutch forward Donyell Malen from Borussia Dortmund for about £20million, but are expected to let fringe players like Jaden Philogene go.
Were they to sell Morgan Rogers, Jhon Duran or Boubacar Kamara, they would turn a huge profit but weaken their squad.
Emery added: ‘The club is always looking forward and trying to increase our financial capacity.’
