Villa back FFP change and league shake-up

ASTON VILLA face a crunch week in the battle for automatic promotion.

They host rock-bottom Burton today and have secondplaced Derby in their sights after five successive wins in the Championship.

But off the pitch, chief executive Keith Wyness is fighting to ensure the club meets Financial Fair Play rules.

It will be a vital summer at Villa, with the last of the parachute payments following relegation from the Premier League due to drop to £14million. In the previous two seasons it was £44m and £33m.

It is understood Wyness will suggest at next week’s regional English Football League meeting that FFP rules are relaxed. He needs the support of 18 of the 24 clubs.

He is also lobbying over the merits of a Premier League 2. Both would cushion the huge financial impact for Villa if they miss out on promotion. But Wyness believes the proposals are in the interests of every club in the Championship.

Altering FFP would mean all could benefit from a cash injection and might help takeovers if prospective buyers want to pump in money but are deterred by the restrictions. A Premier League 2 could make promoted clubs more competitive and give broadcasters more content at a time when future TV rights could include bids from internet giants such as Amazon.

Villa’s transfer spending under owner Dr Tony Xia (left) has dried up. The club blames FFP.

They have since borrowed money against future transfer payments on players who have left the club.

Villa insist those funds were used for “housekeeping” purposes to simplify finances around redeveloping their training ground, which is in the path of the HS2 rail project.

Xia bought relegated Villa in June 2016 from Randy Lerner for £76m and spent another £80m on players.