Aston Villa have been in the market for a few players to boost their promotion bid as they currently sit fourth in the Championship. 

The high wages they paid out for Premier League players including John Terry, Ahmed Elmohamady and Glenn Whelan in the summer means that in order not to contravene Financial Fair Play regulations, they are almost exclusively shopping in the loan market this January.

That sounds like a sensible approach but journalist Alan Nixon's latest update puts that approach into stark context. He tweeted that Villa cannot compete with the package that promotion rivals Cardiff City have put together for Liverpool midfielder Marko Grujic.

The Bluebirds can afford to buy the midfield man and Villa are only able to get loan deals done as they wait for some squad players to leave.

The Verdict

The latest update shows the reality of the situation and also the risk that Steve Bruce took last summer with his ambitious transfer policy of recruiting experienced Premier League players.

It also reveals that Cardiff are a real financial force in the Championship right now - they look set to sign a player who is incredibly talented.

Villa fans - what do you make of this news? Let us know in the comments below...