Gabby Agbonlahor has warned Aston Villa that beating Celtic could be key to their transfer hopes.
It’s a Battle of Britain in the Champions League as Brendan Rodgers takes his team to Birmingham to face Unai Emery’s men. The Hoops go into their final league phase fixture knowing they will be in the play-offs. A top eight spot is still technically possible, but requires seven results all to go Celtic’s way.
The English Premier League outfit need to better Bayer Leverkusen’s result to seal their spot and avoid two playoff matches in February. And former Villa striker Agbonlahor has warned that the money on offer for both teams for a win means it won’t be straight forward for his former club, and it could make the difference between them signing another player or not before the transfer window closes next week. “It’s a must win,” he told talkSPORT.
“A massive, massive game. These games between English and Scottish clubs, they don’t come around that often but when they do, they’re massive occasions.
“Aston Villa have to win and they don’t just have to win, they have to try and score goals. Bayer Leverkusen have Sparta Prague at home and have one goal better goal difference than Aston Villa, so Villa have to score two more goals than Leverkusen and that will guarantee them top eight.
“They have to finish top eight it’s not just about avoiding two extra games next month, it’s also financially. If you finish in the top eight, you generate £9.2million in revenue. If you finish in the playoffs and qualify through them, you only get £800,000. So the difference in money, when PSR is so hard on all these teams, it’s massive for Villa. That could be the difference between getting Joao Felix on loan.
“As for the game tonight, the Villa players have to be aware that this isn’t going to be a walk in the park. When we talk about the financials, it’s £1.8m per win. If you’re Celtic, you look at this knowing you’re guaranteed top 24 but an get a win at Villa Park. What does that do for the finances at Celtic?”