‘We are not top-five contenders’ – is January make or break for Villa?

Unai Emery’s frustration was obvious.

He had just watched his Aston Villa team lose to Everton 1-0, which would have prevented them from placing second in the Premier League.

He remained silent until the interview was over, as if to highlight his fury, and he refused to explain why other teams had higher potential than Villa.

He told Sky Sports, “We are not a contender to be in the top five.”

Other teams have greater potential than we do, he says.

Villa’s January business has already been negatively impacted by financial constraints. Conor Gallagher’s signing by the club was a disappointment.

Second-place finisher Donyell Malen for Villa this year has been sold, and Emery’s problems have grown due to squad depth and growing injury concerns.

Emery’s mood will be impacted by a number of factors.

In a perfect world, Malen wanted to stay, but he did because he only started seven games for Borussia Dortmund last year, and he wanted to keep him.

With only Evann Guessand remaining in the squad to support Ollie Watkins upfront, he scored on his Roma debut on Sunday against Everton.

Guessand has been linked with moving away as a potential sweetener in the deal to let Roma’s Tammy Abraham leave Besiktas’ loan, but he is content at Villa because they want to develop him.

The unsuccessful pursuit of Gallagher after Tottenham cheated on the deal, which highlights the financial reality Villa live in, is another sore point for Emery.

The midfielder from England signed for £35 million from Spurs. Spurs were able to offer the money upfront, but Villa wanted a loan-to-buy deal.

Emery must balance the two, and it has done so in more ways than one, by walking the financial tightrope between Villa and Emery, which has done them harm.

With Emery losing John McGinn on Sunday while he was already sweating on Boubacar Kamara’s fitness and Amadou Onana already out, Gallagher would at least lessen a growing midfield injury crisis.

Despite his difficulties, Leon Bailey is not expected to return from his loan at Roma.

With a view to the future, Villa have signed 17-year-old Metz striker Brian Madjo and Gremio winger Alysson this month.

Villa are still in the FA Cup, third in the Premier League, and well-placed in the Europa League before hosting Fenerbahce on Thursday.

According to Mo Razzaq, chairman of the Aston Villa Supporters’ Trust, “Emery has credit in the bank.”

There is no “silver bullet” where we can “buy who we want,” he said. We must be very cautious and cautious.

With his expertise, Gallagher would have made a valuable addition. Would John McGinn have started every week out if he had not aged any more? Not likely. Spurs have therefore arrived. We are aware of the limitations that surround us.

Villa attempted to change the Premier League’s AGM’s profit and sustainability rules (PSR) in 2024, but the proposal was rejected. In three years, Villa was unable to raise the loss cap from £105 million to £135 million.

The rules “do not make sense,” according to co-owner Nassef Sawiris, because they consolidate the authority of larger clubs.

Villa had to sell in order to comply, and Jacob Ramsey, an academy graduate, purchased the property for £40 million in the summer.

However, for breaking financial regulations, Villa was fined £9.5 million in addition to Chelsea and sanctioned by Uefa in July.

Football finance expert Kieran Maguire claims that those rules are preventing Villa.

They are using the handbrake because of legacy problems that have an impact on Premier League PSR regulations, he said. “I do believe the main issue is Uefa rules,” he said.

Because both Chelsea and Villa were sanctioned by Uefa in the summer, “they’ve got to balance how much they spend on players with how much money they make,” according to the statement.

They wanted a loan until the end of the season because they couldn’t afford him because they “could have been in violation of Uefa rules,” and that is what is happening.

A return to the Champions League next season is becoming more and more likely, according to Maguire, leaving Villa eight points clear of fifth-placed Manchester United in the Premier League.

He predicted that if they do well, they will be in an extremely strong position because they can expect at least £40 million in revenue from the following season.