For several seasons now, Aston Villa have been at the centre of attention in every transfer window, partly because of matters that have not always been entirely clear-cut. And yet they continue to raise money without ever weakening their squad. The latest example, from the transfer window that has just closed? More than €350 million in sales, certainly driven by a record deal – Morgan Rogers to Chelsea for €138 million – but also by a well-established link between Birmingham and Saudi football. The latest was Ollie Watkins, the England international striker who has just joined Al-Hilal for just over €58 million.
In general, over the past few years no other club in the world has benefited as much as the Villans from its dealings in the Middle East. In this particular ranking, compiled by Spanish outlet AS, six of the top ten – including the entire podium – among the clubs to have earned the most from outgoing transfers to the Saudi Pro League since 2023 come from the Premier League. There is an entirely English run from ninth to sixth, interrupted only by Atalanta in seventh, lifted by the Retegui deal, with West Ham, Arsenal and Chelsea also making the top ten. All of them, so far, have earned less than €100 million in total. PSG are fifth, with €103 million collected. Just above them come Porto, on €110 million, boosted by the record sale of Otavio Monteiro. Liverpool are third, with €113.7 million. Much higher are Manchester City, also boosted by the recent sale of Reijnders, at €148.5 million. Much, much higher, ahead of everyone else, are Aston Villa: €195.4 million generated through deals with Saudi clubs.
Three players account for most of that figure. Watkins is only third, behind Moussa Diaby and Jhon Durán, sold for €60 million and €77 million respectively; the Colombian is the second-most expensive signing in Saudi league history, behind only Neymar, who cost €90 million in 2023. For these and other transfer-market masterstrokes, particularly when it comes to capital gains, Villa Park is a good place to look. Even if not everything that glitters is gold: the club’s executives are certainly adept at making their talents pay, but they are also driven by pressing financial necessity. The Premier League requires all its clubs to comply with the Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR), limiting losses to a maximum of €122 million over a three-year period. Since establishing themselves in European competition, Aston Villa have also had to comply with UEFA’s Squad Cost Ratio (SCR), which prevents clubs from spending more than 70 per cent of total revenue on player wages, transfer amortisation and related fees. The club have already been fined by European football’s governing body for breaching these rules.
The natural solution? The Saudi market, where payments are often made in a single instalment and liquidity arrives immediately: exactly what Aston Villa need to keep several lines of the balance sheet in order. It is a dynamic shared by many clubs, particularly in England, but lately a little more so in Birmingham. It is hard to imagine the Watkins deal being the last.