English newcomer "to buy" its survival in the Premier League

It is one of the most traditional football brands in the British Isles, but in recent years, the famous club needed a restart. Birmingham’s Aston Villa FC was founded 145 years ago, but the team spent the last three seasons only in the second-highest division. The 2015/2016 season was the last time the "Villans" featured in the Premier League. Starting this new season, Aston Villa is back among the league elite, and the club definitely plans to stay long-term in the most-watched and wealthiest league in the world. Their preseason investments reflect that ambition. To date, spending on new signings has exceeded 101 million euros — by far the most in the club’s long and rich history. And the transfer window still has five weeks left.

Not to copy Fulham
According to sports analyst Jozef Tokos, Aston Villa’s promotion was unexpected, and that forced the club's management to change its transfer strategy on the fly. “The Premier League means money. The club received a financial package directly from TV rights, and the team needs strengthening. If they hadn’t done that, they’d be clear candidates for relegation,” Tokos told the Economic Daily. However, he believes the key is in the approach the club takes to strengthening the squad. Tokos would prioritize quality over quantity. “Among the new signings, there isn’t a player whose name stands out as a well-known star. For a total of one hundred million, I would’ve rather bought two 40-million players and one for 20 million. On the other hand, even less-known players can bring the required quality. Only time will tell whether these were successful signings,” the analyst added.

The English newcomer is “buying” its survival
Either way, it will be interesting to see how the footballers from England’s second-largest city handle the tougher competition and faster pace of the Premier League. Last year, another newcomer — Fulham FC — spent a staggering 116.5 million euros before the season began. And the result? A total flop. Second-to-last in the Premier League with just 26 points, 10 points short of safety. In simple terms, the club ended up with a massive financial loss, while its extremely expensive signings played at best like average Premier League players. Their performances simply didn’t match the price tags attached to their names. (...)