Aston Villa's Europa League trophy sits proudly next to their previous silverware. They will now compete in Europe for a fourth straight season.

What happened?

The team's success has pushed them into the top six, but financial restrictions are limiting their transfer activity. Unai Emery has targets in place, including a winger who can run in behind. | Position | Target | | --- | --- | | Winger | Jarrod Bowen |

Why it matters for Aston Villa

The financial restrictions are a result of the team's previous breaches of UEFA's Football Earnings Rule. They have to suffer no more than €60m in losses at the end of the 2025-26 accounting year. Failure to do so would breach the settlement agreement with UEFA. Club sources say they are not beholden to the June 30 deadline, but still need to work carefully to meet the threshold.

What comes next?

Aston Villa's recent form has been impressive, with a 5-game winning run and a 2-1 win over Manchester City on May 24. Their league standing is 4th in the Premier League, with 65 points from 38 games. | Category | Stat | | --- | --- | | League Standing | 4th | | Points | 65 | | Recent Form | WWDLL | The team's goal difference is +7, with 56 scored and 49 conceded. They are 20 points behind leaders Arsenal. Aston Villa's success is pushing and exposing the flaws of the various financial restrictions, making it hard for them to sign new players without losing current ones.