A surprise Premier League club were 'hours away' from a 10-point deduction amid Leicester City winning their appeal against a charge over Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR).
Leicester won an appeal against a decision that could have led to a points deduction for an alleged breach of the Premier League's rules.
An independent panel found the league did not have the jurisdiction to punish the Foxes, who returned to the top flight at the first time of asking last season.
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The club were charged by the Premier League for breaching PSR rules, prompting an appeal against this charge but an independent commission then ruled the league could take action.
Leicester made another appeal, basing their decision on the fact they were in the English Football League at the time of the charge was issued.
In wake of their successful appeal, The Daily Mail claim Aston Villa were 'hours away' from a 10-point deduction that would have ruined their season.
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However, the sale of Douglas Luiz, who joined Juventus for a reported fee of £42.35 million, saved Villa from receiving a sanction for over PSR.
Even as Villa were celebrating Champions League qualification in May, club officials knew they faced a 'race against the clock' to meet Premier League spending regulations by the June 30 deadline.
They had agreed to sanction the transfer of Luiz in May, but there was little time to spare when the deal was concluded.
In a separate transaction, Villa agreed deals to sign youngsters Samuel Iling-Junior and Enzo Barrenechea from the Serie A side.
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Villa's director of football operations Damian Vidagany said: "We found ourselves in a situation where we had make an important profit to avoid being in breach with the PSR (profit and sustainability rules). It was very challenging.
"Everybody was cheering and celebrating the Champions League, but Monchi (Villa's transfer chief) and I were at the party thinking how we could avoid a points deduction that would have spoiled a wonderful season. There was a bomb with the countdown, and we were there to cut the cable. We arrived at the last second with this problem.
"From May 20 until June 30 is normally the holiday period for everyone in football, but for us it was a very difficult moment. It's not just about selling players who will ensure you make a profit.
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"At the same time, you have to sell the players that (manager) Unai Emery believes are not crucial for the team."
Topics: Premier League, Aston Villa, Leicester City, Football
Nasir Jabbar