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A harder year ahead for Villa

Financial fair play rules and reduced parachute payments will constrain Aston Villa's attempt to get back to the Premier League next season: Financial challenge

Villa have been financially over-extended this year and Steve Bruce has had to work hard, signing free transfers and loan players and balancing the books. They will find it difficult to continue to afford average wages of £29,567 a week. They risk losing their best players.

This is probably a good time to look again at Kieran Maguire's (on BBC Radio WM this morning) analysis of Villa's financial position in February when he concluded that a return to the top flight was essential: Burning Sky

Maguire has noted in a tweet today, 'Villa were already cutting back in 2017/18 was that after June 2017 they only spent £2.9m on transfers compared to nearly £88 million the previous season.'

He also tweeted, 'The problem for Villa is that they gambled on players signed in 2016/17 being good enough to get them promoted. Villa were responsible for over 25% of money spent in the Championship on new players for 16/17 & strategy failed, leaving them with a hangover for future seasons.'

The West Midlands continues to punch below its weight in football terms, represented in the Premier League only by promoted Wolves.

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