Aston Villa could now blow Tottenham away – Keith Wyness drops transfer verdict
Aston Villa’s former chief Keith Wyness has insisted the work of Monchi will be key to Aston Villa becoming an established Champions League club.
Speaking on the new edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, the 66-year-old – who served as CEO at Villa Park between 2016 and 2018 and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – insisted everything is in place for Villa to “make the next step” and challenge the likes of Man United, Tottenham and Chelsea every season.
Monchi and Unai Emery, who worked together at Sevilla, arrived at Aston Villa months apart and secured Champions League qualification in their first full season together.
The Midlands giants will play eight league phase games in the competition’s new format in the 2024-25 campaign.
However, Football Insider revealed on 7 June that Aston Villa must raise £60million in player sales this summer to avoid breaching Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR) and incurring a potential points deduction.
Aston Villa to challenge Man United, Tottenham and Chelsea thanks to Monchi, says Wyness
Wyness nevertheless insisted his former side, alongside Newcastle, can challenge the establishment in English football for years to come.
He told Football Insider‘s Insider Track podcast: “What gives me hope that Aston Villa could become a regular feature in the Champions League is the work of Monchi.
“He’s got a fantastic record, and anyone who looks at that will understand. He’ll be putting things in place.
“He’s a fantastic short-term operator but also a great long-term strategic thinker.
“He also knows what is required of a squad to be successful in Europe, which is a big piece of the puzzle.
“Unai Emery has brought stability, they’ve got great training facilities – so it’s all there for Villa to make the next step.
“Villa have a real platform to go forward now. Them and Newcastle, I expect to challenge the established top clubs. Man United, Spurs and Chelsea are all susceptible.”
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