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Aston Villa's board are confident of staying within the Financial Fair Play rules - even if they miss out on promotion.

Villa are banking on being in the Premier League next season - but chief executive Keith Wyness says they have a contingency strategy if they remain in the Championship.

Since dropping into the second tier in the summer of 2017, Villa have invested heavily in an attempt to return to the top flight.

Without the promises of Premier League riches next season it would leave the club with little wiggle room to remain within the FFP parameters.

Some supporters have been concerned Villa will face sanctions if they fall foul of the regulations, but Wyness has put their minds at rest.

"We’re very confident we’ll not be breaching Financial Fair Play rules," said Wyness.

"We’re absolutely sure we’ve got the strategy in place. I’ve always said that next season will be challenging but again we’ve got a strategy in place to try and handle that [presuming there’s no promotion].

"My job is to take care of the down side.

"Financial Fair Play is a very boring and complex subject. The politics around it are also potentially changing right now.

"I believe it’s a very bad rule - I can’t think of any other business where you can buy a business and not be allowed to put your own money into it to improve it.

"All it’s done is protect the position of the top six clubs like Chelsea etc and not allow anybody else to challenge them.

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"If we wanted to put £100m into Aston Villa, we’re not allowed to.

"It’s based on losses, and over a three year calculation."

Villa have started to make provision for next season, but Wyness admits that promotion would only be the start of Villa's journey back to where they want to be.

"We’ve already done some squad planning on both sides - promotion and staying in the Championship," he added.

"We’re already deep into squad planning for those areas.

"People talk about promotion like it’s this great gift where you receive £120m - that’s not even one Coutinho.

"You see left-backs go for £50m. We recognise that we need a number of players to strengthen the squad in the Premier League.

"How you do that with £120m is another separate challenge.

"The reality is we’re going to have to exist and stay in the Premier League for three years, build the squad over a three year period and then really start to challenge after that."

MORE VILLA NEWS

Steve Bruce ‘absolutely loves’ Peterborough United winger Marcus Maddison according to Posh chairman Darragh MacAnthony.

Villa have been linked with Maddison in the past, as have a host of other Championship clubs. It’s understood Villa legend Brian Little travelled down to a few of Peterborough’s games last season to watch Maddison.

Maddison recently starred in Posh’s FA Cup win over Villa at Villa Park and added to his incredible assists tally.

The 24-year-old has 13 assists in League One alone, which is more than any other player in England’s professional leagues.

And MacAnthony says Bruce is a fan of Maddison having been told about him by his son, Alex.

“Steve Bruce absolutely loves him after the Villa game,” MacAnthony said.

“His own son was in his office saying ‘that was the boy I told you about in the summer dad'. He was very impressed with Marcus, not only with what he did with the ball but his work ethic too.”

Maddison was offered to Villa’s rivals Birmingham City over the summer, but Harry Redknapp passed up the chance to sign the flying winger on the cheap.

He has since signed a new deal at Posh which would see the club command a significant transfer fee should he move in the immediate future.

DON'T BET ON IT!

Last week, Aston Villa’s shirt sponsors Unibet offered supporters of the club an odds special.

It consisted of a Championship double - Villa achieving promotion, and Blues slipping into League One.

With Unibet, that bet was 9/2 and appeared be positively received by the Villa faithful.

Why wouldn’t it?

Villa are well placed, Blues are struggling at the other end of the table and as a fan you can back both outcomes.

A rival offer, in every sense of the word, has now appeared on the other side of the fence.

Blues’ own shirt sponsors, 888 Sport, have offered the polar opposite bet - Villa missing out on a top six spot, and Blues remaining in the Championship come the end of the season.

With 888Sport, that double is worth 13/2.

Which side of the fence are you on?

LEEDS RUMOUR

Aston Villa pair Ross McCormack and Tommy Elphick are being targeted by Championship rivals Leeds United, according to reports.

McCormack, currently on loan Down Under, is enjoying a fruitful campaign at Melbourne City, having scored 14 goals so far and seven in his last five.

Elphick, meanwhile had previously found matches hard to come by before a run of games in John Terry’s absence over Christmas.

Now the captain is back, and with Chris Samba to return too, competition is rife in the claret and blue centre-back department.

Former Bournemouth defender Elphick, however, did prove his worth in that festive schedule, particularly in the wins over Middlesbrough and Bristol City where he helped Villa to clean sheets.

Both were signed by former Villa manager Roberto Di Matteo in the summer of 2016.

Leeds, for whom McCormack scored 58 goals in four seasons between 2010 and 2014, have slipped to tenth this season having been top at one point in September.

Villa, meanwhile, are fourth, three points behind Derby County who occupy the second automatic promotion spot.

The Sun are reporting that the Whites have submitted a bid of £7m for the pair.