'UEFA to strip Aston Villa's PSR profits from sale of women's team'

‘UEFA to strip Aston Villa’s PSR profits from sale of women’s team’

Aston Villa look set to avoid a sanction from the Premier League with the sale of their women’s team but issues with UEFA remain a possibility.

The Villains failed to qualify for the Champions League on the final day of the season thanks to a 2-0 loss to Man United.

Without the revenue boost from competing in Europe’s premier club competition and having made losses of £205.8million [The Athletic] between 2022 and 2024, the club seemed in real danger of failing the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules (PSR).

However, Chelsea created a blueprint for avoiding PSR sanctions by selling their women’s team in April for £198.7m [BBC Sport].

The Premier League have attempted to close that loophole twice, including at the latest general meeting between clubs in June [The Times].

Following in the footsteps of their domestic rivals, Villa have now agreed to sell their women’s team to V Sports, according to David Ornstein and The Athletic, but whilst a sale to the company that own’s the Villains will be crucial to avoiding a Premier League sanction, UEFA will strip the profits from the deal.

Chelsea sold their women’s team earlier in the year to help avoid a PSR sanction. (Credit: Getty Images)

MORE FOOTBALL INSIDER STORIES

Aston Villa still facing sanction from UEFA despite women’s team sale

According to The Athletic’s football finance writer Chris Weatherspoon, UEFA will not allow the profits from the sale of the women’s team to be counted against the club’s European PSR calculation, as “the governing body refuses to allow clubs to record profits on intra-group deals.”

Villa have been in communication with the European governing body over a “previous purported breach”, but UEFA have historically leant towards fining clubs, as opposed to dishing out “the more damaging sporting punishments meted out by the Premier League in recent seasons”.

The Telegraph have also reported that Villa have “committed to bringing down their squad cost ratio” by 10 per cent this summer, and a further 10 per cent next summer in the hopes that will be enough to avoid “heavy sanctions”.

Aston Villa are unlikely to need to sell any first-team players for PSR reasons this summer. Credit: Hasan Karim, Breaking Media

Aston Villa avoiding player sales as bonus to Unai Emery

Football Insider Verdict

Unai Emery will have been desperate to avoid having to sell key players this summer as his side are on the verge of becoming regular Champions League contenders.

The Villains missed out by goal difference last season, and selling a player just to avoid a PSR sanction would have likely had a major negative affect on the club’s on-pitch performances.

And now the sale of the women’s team looks to have put Villa in a position where selling players is no longer a necessity.

However, with a fine potentially inbound from UEFA, it will be interesting to see how much the Midlands club can afford to spend this summer.

Champions League rivals Newcastle are yet to improve their starting XI, and Villa could look to pounce and take a risk by splashing the cash this summer in a push to return to the competition next year, but they would have to do so in a way that continues to drive down their overall squad costs to satisfy UEFA.

Click here to read article