£135m Aston Villa transfer plan key as Wes Edens and Nassef Sawiris in PSR split - Kieran Maguire
Today at 03:57 PM
Wes Edens and Nassef Sawiris have grand plans for Aston Villa – that much is clear from their movements behind the scenes at Premier League HQ.
One of private equity’s biggest names coupled with Egypt’s richest man and the multi-billion dollar investment group Atairos for good measure is an ownership structure that most fans dream of.
The independent wealth and move-fast-break-stuff approach of the owners has yielded superb results on the pitch for Aston Villa, whose decision to appoint Unai Emery has proven a masterstroke.
Champions League qualification was the benchmark they set themselves in 2023-24 and the current campaign appears to be proving that was no flash in the pan.
Their form has dropped off in recent weeks and they were held to a draw by Crystal Palace at the weekend, but Villa remain well in the race for the top four again this season.
| Position | Team | PlayedMP | WonW | DrawnD | LostL | ForGF | AgainstGA | DiffGD | PointsPts |
| 3 | ChelseaChelsea | 12 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 23 | 14 | 9 | 22 |
| 4 | ArsenalArsenal | 12 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 21 | 12 | 9 | 22 |
| 5 | BrightonBrighton | 12 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 21 | 16 | 5 | 22 |
| 6 | TottenhamTottenham | 12 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 27 | 13 | 14 | 19 |
| 7 | Nottm ForestNottingham Forest | 12 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 15 | 13 | 2 | 19 |
| 8 | Aston VillaAston Villa | 12 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 19 | 19 | 0 | 19 |
| 9 | NewcastleNewcastle | 11 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 13 | 11 | 2 | 18 |
| 10 | FulhamFulham | 12 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 17 | 17 | 0 | 18 |
| 11 | BrentfordBrentford | 12 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 22 | 22 | 0 | 17 |
| 12 | Man UtdManchester United | 12 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 13 | 13 | 0 | 16 |
That would be transformative in terms of PSR (Profit and Sustainability Rules), the system enforced by the Premier League that limits how much they can spend in the transfer market.
Edens and Sawiris have tested the very limits of PSR in recent seasons and only narrowly avoided a breach for the three-year assessment period up until 30th June 2024.
Some commentators have suggested that Villa’s frustration with a stifling PSR system has been the reason that they have become serial rebels at Premier League shareholder meetings.
And the latest developments in the era of Premier League lawfare have cast light on Villa’s much discussed alliance with Manchester City in recent times.
Aston Villa’s APT stance stems from earlier PSR setback, suggests finance expert
While it will not match the juddering significance of the 115 charges hearing, Man City’s partly successful challenge to the Premier League’s Associated Party Transaction (APT) Rules has had a seismic impact.
City had several elements of their challenge upheld by the tribunal, with the Premier League forced to rewrite its rules on soft loans and access to the league-wide commercial database.
Significantly, Villa gave evidence in support of City in the APT hearing itself and also supported their proposal to delay the vote on the revised rules at last Friday’s shareholder meeting.
Speaking to TBR Football, Liverpool University football finance lecturer and industry insider Kieran Maguire sad Villa’s failed attempts to reform the PSR system in the summer may explain their split from the rest of the pack in the Premier League.
Specifically, the Price of Football author pointed to Villa’s rejected plans to raise the three-year PSR threshold from £105m to £135m, which Maguire himself agrees with, as case in point.
“Villa have been very disappointed with the Premier League especially in the failure to index link the loss limits to inflation.
“Losses as a proportion of revenue have halved since 2013. This means that a club that wanted to be at the limit of the FFP rules on a percentage basis has a significant advantage over Aston Villa in today’s market.
“You can understand the position that Villa have taken as one of the four dissenting clubs.
“If the other Premier League clubs had agreed to an increase in the PSR limit to £135m, I suspect it would have been a 17-3 vote instead of 16-4.”
- READ MORE: Nassef Sawiris has already agreed Abu Dhabi deal as Aston Villa owner's £6.8bn fortune shifts
What comes next for Aston Villa and Man City in the APT row?
First of all, the APT row is far from over.
Man City want the whole APT system declared null and void and have sought clarity on the tribunal’s verdict that they are expected to deliver in February 2025.
In terms of the revisions to the APT system as it stands, Villa are in a better place than they were before the rules were rewritten.
They now have access to the databank of commercial deals, which analysts suggest will given them more headroom to negotiate bigger sponsorships with associated parties.
They were not affected by the soft loans issue meanwhile and now have a powerful ally in City in the turbulent broader context of the football finance and governance landscape.
