Aston Villa boss Unai Emery has told fans to keep their expectations low this season after a tough summer in terms of spending.
This year has seen extravagant purchases by some of the top teams including Liverpool breaking the British transfer record to sign Florian Wirtz, while Chelsea, Manchester City and Arsenal have all broke the bank, too.
As for Villa, they have brought in highly-rated striker Evann Guessand to provide competition for Ollie Watkins - but the Ivorian is their only significant purchase this summer.
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Unai Emery has admitted that Villa might have a tough season this year
|PA
And Emery believes Villa might have a tough time competing at the top, insisting that he reckons the highest they can finish in the Premier League is EIGHTH.
The Spaniard said: "We are starting more or less like when I arrived here. We are not a contender to be in the top seven for this reason."
"Of course we have the capacity to build a strong team, but not with the same budget [as the big clubs].
"We have to be competitive with our players and keep working hard as well as staying motivated.
"We are going to start tomorrow and there 38 matches in the Premier League but we are not contenders to be in the top seven."
As for outgoings, Villa are in the process of selling Jacob Ramsey to Newcastle for a fee that could surpass £40million.
The midfielder, who scored one Premier League goal last season, came up through the academy at the club and held a key role.
But it is likely that Villa will have to find some sort of replacement with around two weeks left in the transfer window.
Emery admitted that the 24-year-old was no longer part of the squad while also hinting that transfer business has left him frustrated.
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Jacob Ramsey looks set to sign for Newcastle this summer
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The former Arsenal, Sevilla and Villarreal manager said: "We are playing three matches with the transfer window open [at the start of the season] and things can change for us as well as other teams."
"Of course Jacob Ramsey is not with us today and if he is leaving we are going to continue our work [here].
"I was happy working with him but now we focus on the players we have and keep going forward."
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| PAAnother player who looks set to leave in the coming days in Leon Bailey, with AS Roma in talks with the winger.
Much might depend on whether a bid is accepted for Manchester United flop Jadon Sancho.
Nevertheless, another attacker leaving Villa so soon to the start of the window will only frustrate Emery more.
Villa are in talks with Paris Saint-Germain over a deal to re-sign Marco Asensio, who was signed last season on loan.