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Aston Villa hero criticises 'stupid' PSR rules and summer transfers amid form crisis
Aston Villa's all-time Premier League goalscorer Gabby Agbonlahor as hit out at the Premier League's 'stupid' 'Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR)' as Unai Emery's side hit worst form in over two years.
Villa lost 3-0 away to Chelsea on Sunday in a game where the Blues' superior squad depth and fitness proved crucial in their dominant display over the Villans.
Now winless in eight games, Emery's side are in their worst spell of form since the Spaniard arrived at Villa Park in October 2022, losing five of those eight matches in all competitions.
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The Lions have undergone a remarkable transformation under the 53-year-old, achieving back-to-back European qualifications and playing Champions League football for the first time since 1983. However, their squad development has been halted somewhat in the process as they have been forced to offload before trying to upgrade the team.
Arguably Villa's best player before he left, Douglas Luiz was sold to Juventus in the summer in order to comply with PSR before the Villans brought in the likes of Amadou Onana, Ross Barkley and Ian Maatsen.
One-club man Agbonlahor, who appeared 391 times for the West Midlands giants, has criticised these rules whilst on TalkSport, mentioning their restrictions in allowing clubs outside of the typical 'big six' from being able to consistently challenge at the top.
"How can you as a club, Aston Villa, finish in the top four and because of the stupid PSR have to sell before you buy?," questioned the 38-year-old.
"I remember being at Villa at the end of [last] season before the semi final of the Conference League and speaking to someone at the club and [they said], ‘Gabby, we’ve got to sell before we even think of buying’. You get top four and you want to go again; you want to try and fight for top two, top three, and you have to sell your best player, Douglas Luiz. You have to sell Moussa Diaby.
"You bring in Barkley; decent player [but] just been relegated with Luton. Jaden Philogene; decent player but not at the level of what Aston Villa need from Championship Hull City. You expect Aston Villa to go in the Premier League and the Champions League and fight on both fronts. It’s impossible."
On the flip side, Sunday's opponents Chelsea were able to draw from a large squad. The Blues have brought in a huge number of players over the past few season for big money, skirting around PSR rules with long, drawn-out contracts.
Under a manager who has got them performing well, the West London club are managing to sustain their stay at the top of the Premier League through the rule changes and good form of other supposedly 'smaller' clubs.
Villa's future business will certainly be something to keep an eye on, with questions over whether they will be able to keep high-value assets such as Ollie Watkins, Jhon Duran and Emi Martínez consistently arising.
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