Aston Villa Nears £55m Women’s Team Deal to Avoid PSR Breach

Aston Villa is poised to avoid breaching the Premier League's Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR) by closing a deal valued around £55 million involving the sale of a stake in their women's team. The club has been working on selling about 10% of the women's team to investors, with the remainder potentially sold to the parent company controlled by billionaire Nassef Sawiris, thereby generating compliant funds to meet PSR requirements. This move comes after Villa's prior efforts, such as last year's sale of Douglas Luiz, to comply with financial regulations and avoid sanctions like points deductions. Financial experts note that Villa, like Chelsea, may utilize internal asset sales to sister companies, a loophole the Premier League has not closed, to meet PSR without player sales. Despite a record revenue increase to £275.7 million and reduced losses, Villa remains short on PSR compliance and is committed to cutting player costs by nearly 20% over the summer. The club is also exploring other asset sales, such as their new events venue, to strengthen their financial position amid ongoing UEFA scrutiny.