Quote:
Randy Lerner is ready to open his chequebook as he bids to help Aston Villa break the stranglehold the 'big four' have over the rest of the Premier League.
The combination of billionaire owner Lerner and his astute manager Martin O'Neill has seen Villa make steady progress over the past year.
Villa fans are hopeful their side will prove good enough to gatecrash the European places this season, and Lerner sees no reason why they cannot eventually establish themselves as UEFA Champions League regulars.
"It is our ambition to compete with them (the top four) although there is still a lot of work to be put in to build up Villa to that sort of level," said Lerner.
"It will be the multi-growth of our business which we hope will eventually enable Villa to compete with the likes of these clubs.
"Attendances and other sales are up but at the present time they do not balance the books. It was not expected they would.
Prudent spending
"I don't know if necessarily buying players and throwing them into the team would be a direct indicator of future success. You need a group of players who play together over a period of time.
"Probably what we would like to do is to add on in a tactical and practical way over a period of time to strengthen what we are already building."
Lerner concedes that he is prepared for O'Neill to ask him for fresh funds in the January transfer window.
"Obviously, you need to spend to compete and to spend more on a higher level," he added.
"We have not discussed specific players and there is no budget in mind. That doesn't seem to be the nature of our dialogue."
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From SkySports
Whenever he talks, he sounds like the perfect chairman - probably a good PR advisor earning his money!