A place between the last eight in the phase of the Champions League group is much more for Aston Villa than a couple of quiet weeks in February.
Unai Emery's men face Celtic in Villa Park on Wednesday night knowing that a victory would give them an excellent opportunity for a place in the last 16, avoiding the two-legged play-off round next month in the process .
Emery was asked if a lighter accessories calendar would help him by his side, but there are more important issues at stake.
A place in the 16 round provides a guarantee of approximately 9.2 million in prizes, while the qualification for the Play-Off stage brings only £ 840,000.
Add the bonus of almost £ 1.8 million simply to overcome the Brendan Rodgers team and there are about £ 11 million resting only in this accessory only for Villa.
While 11 million could not seem much in the mega rich world of European football, for Villa it could be worth a lot.
The qualification in the top eight of the Champions League would be worth £ 11 million for Aston Villa
It would allow the club to be released more in the transfers market and solidify
Unai Emery is a risk maker in the transfers market and additional funds would be useful
The club sailed extremely near the wind with the Premier League spending rules last season and dodged a deduction of points largely because they sold Douglas Luiz to Juventus at the end of June.
An additional sum of eight figures would give them a very necessary breathing space, not to mention space for the maneuver in the transfers market, where the town remains very active with less than a week for the end.
In fact, there is a fascinating contrast in the heart of Villa that becomes evident during the final days of a transfer window. When Emery drives the important team, it leaves nothing to chance. As soon as he addresses the coach after a game away from home, the manager of Villa shoots his portable computer and analyzes the game from all angles.
He directs all training sessions, even with physical move players to the exact place they want while practicing pieces.
There are long afternoon meetings in front of the video, both with individual players and with the entire team. There is little space for improvisation in Emery's football idea.
However, with the players' trade, Emery and their transfer manager Monchi are much more willing to bet.
Instead of sticking within a specific recruitment frame, Villa in 2025 moves in this way, changing the course in a beat and the opportunities are poured as they arise. Get the agreement instead and discover the finest details later.
Few sports directors are agile enough to make this work, but Monchi is a highly qualified operator and a long race of the Champions League would improve his endless hand.
Celtic is enjoying his best campaign of the Champions League in recent memory, with three victories and only one defeat in seven games before Wednesday's seismic shock with Aston Villa
The chief of Aston Villa, Monchi, would have greater freedom in the market if they can ensure the passage
The club can release Jhon Duran in what would be a high -risk movement and possibly high reward
The current model of most elite clubs is to pay large transfer rates only for players in their adolescence and early 20 and cling to them until they reach the maximum value.
No Villa, who is prepared to listen to offers for Jhon Duran, 21, this month. Although he is a complex character, he is considered one of the most promising central strikers in the world and still has a great margin of improvement.
Villa has publicly said that they want to keep Duran, but there is no smoke without fire and West Ham clubs to Paris Saint-Germain and Nassr would not have shown interest if there were no chances of success. Stay to see until the window closes on Monday.
Meanwhile, Emery maintains an interest in the Chelsea attacker, Joao Felix, whose salaries are substantial but has fought to have an impact on Atlético de Madrid and Barcelona, as well as in Stamford Bridge.
Felix turns 26 at the end of the year and is more than four years older than last. His talent is undeniable, but he has not yet fulfilled, ever?
As a percentage of its general revenues of £ 260 million, the salary invoice of Villa is high. Adding a player like Felix would push them closer to that roof, with little certainty of a return of his investment.
In addition, the biggest need for Villa is at the other end of the countryside, where Ezri Konsa is its only specialized center in form.
Pau Torres is out until March with a broken foot, Diego Carlos has joined Fenerbahce and, although Emery tried to talk about the possibilities of Tyrone Mings to face Celtic, who feels unlikely.
Emery retains interest at the end of Chelsea, Joao Felix, but there are still question signs about whether the former Atlético star of Atlético de £ 113 million will reach its maximum potential
They could do it with another central since Ezri Konsa is their only one in form at this time
This, after all, is a player who feared having suffered another serious knee injury when he had a 1-1 draw with West Ham on Sunday after a collision with Mohammed Kudus.
If Emery was trying to mask the true state of aptitude of Mings while Villa negotiates for other defenders, namely Juan Foyth of Villarreal and the Axel Disasi of Chelsea, then he was frustrated when midfol Jacob Ramsey left out when the cat was out of the bag.
Referring to the probable absence of Mings, Ramsey said happily that it was “good news that is only a couple of weeks.” If it is true, that would give mings absolutely no possibility to face Celtic. Villarreal and Chelsea would have registered that, that's fine.
Ramsey described this game as a moment of 'Pellizco' and that feeling applies to many with villa in the heart.
Want here and not only offer the award -winning award, but also improve their possibilities of a favorable draw of the last 16. There is an additional bonus of £ 10.5m for each quarterfinals.
He loses and could be Paris Saint-Germain below, or even Real Madrid if the reigning champions end up in the play-off places. Villa would be strange in those games and, if they lost, who knows when they would see this level of competition again?
There is rarely a boring moment with Villa Under Emery and not only its short -term European prospects are at stake here.
It promises to be another crucial night in the modern history of the club.