Aston Villa give exciting update on major Villa Park expansion in end-of-year accounts

Aston Villa fans can expect a timeline for the expansion of Villa Park to be announced "in the coming months" as the club unveils its end-of-year accounts.

Villa shared a statement online on Wednesday summarising the club's business over the past 12 months and reiterated plans to expand the ground in the coming year.

The desire to boost the Villa Park capacity from 42,640 to 50,000 had already been formally announced by the club which has been granted planning approval from Birmingham City Council.

The end-of-year statement read: "Plans to redevelop our iconic home which include building a new North Stand and expanding our hospitality, retail and entertainment facilities were formalised by a full multidisciplinary design and engineering team during the year and approved by Birmingham City Council in December 2022.

"The scheme will also transform the area around the stadium and be a catalyst for change in the neighbourhood and we are delighted that Villa Park has been shortlisted as a stadium in the UK and Ireland’s Euro 2028 bid.

"The Club is working closely with external stakeholders at local, regional and national level to ensure the transport system surrounding Villa Park receives the necessary upgrades to cope with an increased capacity of more than 50,000 supporters.

"A timetable for demolition and rebuilding work will be announced in the coming months following full consideration of all logistical and economic factors."

Elsewhere in the report, Villa pointed to a 14th-place finish in the Premier League last season, three places lower than the year previous, as being 'partly responsible' for a reduction in turnover. The club recorded £178.4 million over the past 12 months compared to £183.6m previously.

There was also an acknowledgement to Manchester City star Jack Grealish, whose sale helped fund a large part of the business.

The club said: "The club invested £203.5m in the acquisition of new players in the financial year, partly financed by the club record sale of Jack Grealish to Manchester City.

"The Club’s long-term strategic plan continues to be developing, recruiting and securing talented young players on long-term contracts to build asset value in our playing squad and ensure long-term sustainability."