Aston Villa's huge advantage over Premier League rivals ahead of summer transfer window revealed

Steven Gerrard and Aston Villa possess a vital financial advantage over the other sides outside the top six in the Premier League as he approaches his first summer transfer window in charge.

The club have recently published their latest accounts which revealed that the wage bill for the last financial year was up £29 million, with the average wage being paid now at around £64,000.

Football finance expert Kieran Maguire commented on the increase of the wage bill and how this may provide Villa with a key advantage in the upcoming transfer market.

He stated: "Villa's wage bill is towards the higher end of the 'Other 14' clubs which means they can attract players as they are paying more than their peer group."

This will benefit Villa in the coming transfer windows as they compete with clubs around them for players.

The higher wage packages Villa can offer means they will see an increased chance of being able to beat teams to players due to their bargaining power in negotiations.

Maguire went on to comment on other figures that were published, such as the decrease in losses from £100 million to £38 million. He outlined: "The decreased losses are good going forward as they help the club stay within the financial fair play (FFP) limits."

He also added a general overview on the health of the club's finances: "The figures are solid in a trying environment. The approach of the owners of underwriting losses and not borrowing gives a much stronger balance sheet and reduces debt and interest costs."

The owners have provided Villa with a stable foundation financially in which Gerrard and his coaching staff can now aim to mount a push for European football through targeting further top quality signings in the summer.

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