How much prize money Aston Villa earned on Champions League quest - and the big summer transfers it could fund

Aston Villa’s mighty Champions League campaign may have come to an end but the club will continue to reap the rewards for many more months yet after scooping significant prize money for their progression to the quarter-finals.

A narrow 5-4 aggregate defeat to Paris Saint-Germain denied a path through to the last four, but just taking part in the quarter-finals was enough to secure a whopping £10.53 million on top of what had already been earned earlier in the competition.

Villa were so close to achieving greatness on Tuesday night as goals from Youri Tielemans, John McGinn and Ezri Konsa completed a remarkable 3-2 comeback victory under the lights at Villa Park. It wasn’t enough to win the overall tie, however, as PSG ran out 3-1 victors at the Parc des Princes in the first leg and just about held on to avoid extra time and penalties in the second.

Reaching the latter stages of the Champions League was never to be expected before the season got underway, so Villa can hold their heads high despite the defeat to PSG. The tremendous experience they had this year will only motivate them further to achieve a top-five finish in the Premier League, too, as the players will be itching to play in Europe’s elite competition again.

How much prize money did Aston Villa earn in the Champions League?

As mentioned before, merely taking part in the quarter-finals bagged the Villans a stunning £10.53 million but there was plenty more raked in during the earlier rounds.

Villa earned £15.95 million for qualifying for the competition and then did brilliantly to earn a pretty penny in the league phase. UEFA paid out £1.77 million per league phase win and roughly £590,000 per league phase draw. As Villa were victorious in five and drew one, their total earnings came to £9.44 million.

Then there was the round of 16, which Villa qualified for immediately after edging out Atalanta, Borussia Dortmund, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and AC Milan by a single point. Unai Emery’s side swept aside Club Brugge by an aggregate score of 6-1 in the first knockout round, securing a further £9.26 million.

In total, then, the Villans swept up an impressive £45.18 million for their involvement in the Champions League. It would have been £57.82 million if they beat PSG to get to the semi-finals, but beggars can’t be choosers.

Who could Villa sign with their UCL prize money?

As unfair as it may seem, Villa, even after earning substantial bonuses in Europe, must still take care in the upcoming transfer market as they are walking a fine line with the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules (PSR). As a result, a sale or two may even be required to ensure Emery has the necessary budget to make small corrections to his squad.

The Champions League prize money will certainly help, though, and could be enough for Villa to finalise at least a couple of important deals. Two could be in the works already, too, as Villa are considering whether to make Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio’s loan moves permanent.

Villa have an option to buy Rashford for £40 million but the deal hinges on several factors. Birmingham World understands the Manchester United winger will only consider joining for the long term if Champions League qualification is secured for next season, while Villa want him to reduce his stunning £325,000 weekly salary.

In the case of Asensio, a wage drop could also be required but the Spaniard’s transfer fee wouldn’t be anywhere as substantial as Rashford’s. PSG are open to selling Asensio as his contract at the Parc des Princes is due to expire next summer.

Rosenborg wonderkid Sverre Nypan is another player who could be signed this summer as Villa are currently working on a deal. No fee has been agreed yet but the 18-year-old, widely regarded as Norway’s biggest midfield talent since Martin Odegaard, is keen on the move to Villa Park.

Meanwhile, Emery and Monchi are drawing up a list of defensive targets as they seek to bolster the depth at centre-back. Another versatile winger could also be signed, though that is less of a priority at this stage.