John McGinn believes Aston Villa’s constant battle with spending rules would make winning a trophy even more special.

Villa will reach the final of the Europa League if they can overcome Nottingham Forest by at least two goals on Thursday and move a step closer to their first major prize since 1996.

Because Villa’s revenue is dwarfed by that of the Premier League’s wealthiest, they cannot spend as much on transfers and wages as those clubs and will likely have to sell this summer to stay in line with Premier League and UEFA financial restrictions.

‘Players move on each summer, whether that is players who have been here a long time or players who have just arrived,’ said McGinn, speaking at the launch of Villa’s partnership with El Gouna Red Sea.

‘I don’t think there is pressure about that coming to an end, but it would make success sweeter than for a group created solely by money.

‘The financial restrictions have helped us in a way, helped people like Ezri Konsa, Matty Cash, Tyrone Mings, Emi Martinez, Ollie Watkins and myself stay together as a core. We know what playing for Aston Villa means and we’ve been on the journey together.

‘The rules are for people smarter than me. But clubs are spending a billion pounds trying to achieve what we are achieving.

‘That might not look like success when you are a player and you look at your trophy cabinet at the end of the season, nor for a supporter that craves success. And I’m sure any player in that dressing room or any supporter would give anything up to have that trophy in the cabinet.

‘But what we are continuing to achieve with the restrictions is incredible. It is a credit not only to the boss (Unai Emery) and those involved in the club but the core group of players.

‘There is a lot of responsibility to carry the club forward continuously, to compete against the odds and I think we are managing to do that.’

Though Villa have improved dramatically under Emery, qualifying for Europe in every season since 2022-23, they have fallen twice at the semi-final stage.

The first loss was against Olympiacos in the Conference League in 2024, followed by defeat to Crystal Palace at Wembley in the FA Cup a year later.

Those experiences were painful and McGinn urged his side to accept the ‘favourites’ tag – even though Forest have the lead and are unbeaten in 10 matches.

McGinn added: ‘We don’t really have that underdog mentality anymore. We are starting to embrace being favourites for things. Thursday night is huge for us as a group and as a club moving forward, to try and take that next step. We are all aware of that.’

Aston Villa officially launched its partnership with El Gouna Red Sea, marking a strategic step in the club’s international expansion. The collaboration brings together elite football performance with a premium coastal destination.