Lerner keen to spend wisely

Aston Villa owner Randy Lerner remains eager to bring in 'top players' and was not disappointed to miss out on qualification for the UEFA Champions League. Lerner backed manager Martin O'Neill in the transfer market last summer and was rewarded with a second successive sixth-placed finish in the Premier League. Villa were challenging for a top-four finish for a large portion of the season and Lerner has lofty ambitions for the Midlands club. However, the American admits he is not keen to lavish money on new signings for the sake of it as he does not believe it would guarantee success. Eager "You see clubs spend a lot of money and they aren't always successful," said Lerner. "I don't know if straight spending equals success. "Of course, there is no question that if you are going to remain ambitious, then you have to bring in better players or top players. "I think we do remain eager to do that. On the other hand, we are aware of other factors that do drive and bring success. "I think that is serious because both the clubs you name (Tottenham and Manchester City) didn't finish where they would have hoped." Lerner was content with Villa's achievements during the past season, despite a late fade-out ending hopes of securing Champions League football. Season of progressHe said: "How do I view this season? I am very happy with what we achieved. I think it was another season of progress. "I wasn't disappointed not to achieve the Champions League position. It is out there, it is a long-term ambition, and it has been a very exciting season, but we did great with what we have. "I was not disappointed with the way the season tailed off. I think it happens. In this business you are going to go through those ups and downs. That was one of them. "I actually thought we did a pretty good job of getting through it and ending on a strong note."

Source: SKY_Sports