Express & Star

New proposal could hand Aston Villa and European clubs greater ability to spend

Premier League clubs will be asked to vote next week on proposals which would give Villa and others competing in Europe greater flexibility on spending rules.

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Aston Villa manager Unai Emery

The plan, put forward by Crystal Palace and reported by The Times, aims to correct an imbalance in Uefa’s coefficient payments which gives those clubs who qualify every season for Europe a financial advantage over those who do so less regularly.

Manchester City received £28million in coefficient payments from Uefa for the 2023-24 season while Newcastle, who qualified for the Champions League for the first time in nearly two decades, were given just £3.8m. Villa can expect to receive a similar sum next term, following their return to Europe’s elite club competition.

Palace’s proposal, which will be discussed at next week’s Premier League AGM ahead of a potential vote, would allow clubs to claim the difference in coefficient funding to the continent’s top clubs as allowable losses under the league’s profit and sustainability rules.

Such an amendment, if passed, would boost Villa in the future but not help their immediate concerns with PSR.

The current rules permit clubs to lose £105m over the course of a three-season cycle and Villa, who reported losses of nearly £120m for the 2022-23 season, are battling to remain within the limits this term.

Villa are already trying to persuade their rivals to increase the three-year limit from £105m to £135m at next week’s AGM.