Aston Villa could be set to keep key defender James Chester after the club came in to fresh investment.

The West Midlands outfit confirmed yesterday that billionaire businessmen Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens, who own NSWE, would 'inject significant investment capital into the Club'.

Whilst that won't solve Villa's FFP issues, it means they are no longer desperate to sell players in order to pay upcoming bills.

Therefore, the firesale that many were expecting may not come to fruition.

And, Sun journalist Alan Nixon revealed on twitter that Chester's move to Stoke is no longer going to happen.

The centre-back was a key player for Villa last season, impressing with his dominant defensive displays, whilst also chipping in with key goals.

Such performances clearly caught the eye, with the Potters having a £5m bid rejected for the 29-year old.

They followed that up with an £8m offer and had been hoping to conclude a deal for the Welsh international over the weekend, yet the latest update suggests they have missed out.

The Verdict

This would be fantastic news for Aston Villa and they will hope that they do manage to keep hold of Chester.

Obvioulsy, FFP is an issue but the sale of Jack Grealish could go a long way to solving that.

Either way, Villa are in a much better position now and it will be interesting to see how the market plays out for the club in the coming weeks.

Thoughts, Villa fans? Let us know in the comments below.