OPINION
Aston Villa earned promotion the Premier League on Monday after beating Derby in the Championship play-off final at Wembley – but Wes Edens believes there is more to come.
It was a remarkable turnaround for the Villains who were 13th at the beginning of March and eventually ended up finishing in the top five.
After their success, Villa co-owner Edens spoke to Jim White on talkSPORT on Tuesday morning saying: “Our goal was to get into the Premier League. This is just the beginning. we want to build one of the biggest clubs in the world and this is a major step in that direction, this is so exciting.”
The Villains will return to the top flight next season after a three-year absence which has included a big squad turn around, new ownership and three new managers.
Although Edens has achieved great success already in his short tenure at the club, his claims are a long way away from the truth with so much more work needed at Aston Villa.
Their success was built around the amount of goals they could score and that was mainly due to their power in the loan market. Tammy Abraham could be set for a first breakout season at his parent club Chelsea after their transfer embargo and their defence was solely built around loan players as well.
Both Axel Tuanzebe and Tyrone Mings were temporarily at the club under Dean Smith, who will require a very large transfer budget to make his squad capable of success in the Premier League.
The dream not only requires a squad clear-out but it also needs consistency and sustainability – not to mention Edens putting money where his mouth is.
Dean Smith must be given time to build his vision at the club even if success doesn’t come instantly. Alongside this, the club has been treated badly in previous years and Edens must pledge to build success without risking the club’s future like his predecessor beforehand.
To build one of the biggest clubs in the world will take years at Villa Park with a huge clear-out needed just in their squad alone, Villa fans will be made to wait a lot longer for world success.