Steve Bruce: Everyone's future is on the line at Aston Villa

Securing a return to the top flight would allow owner Tony Xia to loosen the purse strings this summer.

But failure would see Villa forced to operate under even tighter financial restrictions, with the club’s parachute payments set to significantly reduce.

Villa have tied down a number of their young stars to new deals in recent months.

Yet contract talks with senior players have been placed on hold, while Bruce conceded even his own future may not be guaranteed should Villa face another season in the Championship.

“The one thing the players all realise is if we’re in the big league, they’ve got more of a chance for the future than in the Championship, for obvious reasons,” said the boss.

“I think they understand the situation. I’ve been open and honest with them by not entering into anything (contract discussions) apart from with the younger players, who I believe are the future of the club. That was very important to secure.

“Everyone else, we’re all in the same boat. If we get into the big league, we’ve got a bigger pot and a better chance of earning a new contract.”

Bruce, who is on a 12-month rolling deal, insists he has given no thought to his own future.

But he admitted: “Obviously it helps me if we go up. If we don’t, that’s for others to decide.

“I hope they think that we’re on the right track and let’s have another go, but I really don’t know.”

Bruce has been to operate under a strict budget, with Villa spending just £2.5million on transfer fees in the last two transfer windows.

And with their hopes of promotion still very much alive, the boss admits the club are now planning for all scenarios.

“We have to guide for both - are we going to be in this league or the big league?” he said. “If we’re in this league, then we’re going to have to cut our cloth, it’s straight-forward.

“That’s why it’s so hard to talk about contracts.

"It was vitally important we secured Keinan Davis, Andre Green, Hepburn-Murphy, all of the young ones who are pushing the first-team squad.

"If we don't (go up) I would envisage they will be the nucleus of the club going forward."