Aston Villa owner Randy Lerner has committed a staggering £200 million to the club since his takeover.
The Telegraph says Villa lost more than £37 million last season and were reliant on an investment of £25 million from owner Lerner, taking his personal investment in underwriting the club to more than £200 million.
The loss, to the end of May 2010, of £37.6 million was £9 million less than in 2008-09, but it underlines Villa's reliance on Lerner's largesse and the huge cost of attempting to compete for Champions League football.
It also demonstrates that, like many of their rivals, Villa have to drastically reduce their dependence on their benefactor if they are comply with Uefa 'financial fair play' regulations intended to force clubs to live within their means.
