Transfer rumors as Villarreal releases accounts for 2011-12

This is (mostly) old news, but AS reports Villarreal suffered losses of €23 million in the 2011-12 season, as expenses ballooned to over €110 million and revenues were only €89 million. If the club had a decent run in the Champions League, things would have been a little better, but without that money, the increased expenses blew a hole in the budget.

The 2012-1 season budget is €43 million, but €10 million of that is earmarked for "outstanding payments from previous years"; I expect this may have been the payments Sr. Roig referred to in the late summer as having been made.

Of course the money from the sales of players is in large part meant to cover these expenses, since in the Segunda there is no large TV contract, and gate revenues and sponsorship moneys are also way down compared to the Primera.

Nonetheless, the sale of Rossi and Nicki Bille, let's not forget, has brought in over €10 million and saved over €2m in salary, so there is some expectation the squad will be added to. Someone who can score a goal or two would be nice, and so, just like last year, Lucas Viatri and Nikola Zigic are the two names that keep coming up. We shall see. (Viatri has also been linked with a move to Independente)

Help for the future, perhaps, but Javi Mata has retweeted something from an Ecuadorian radio station that reports "Villarreal will be the destiny" of Ecuadorian U-17 international Jose Cevallos, currently playing for LDU Quito. He is an attacking midfielder, the son of a famous Ecuadorian goalkeeper, and turns 18 later this month.

Also we have a report that Javier Aquino, currently playing with Mexican side Cruz Azul, will be joining us. He's a midfielder who Udinese were interested in over the summer (or should I say the Pozzo family were interested in him, since he could've ended up at Udinese, Watford or Granada?). This report comes from the same Italian journalist who was first with news of the Rossi transfer, for what it's worth.

After the shareholders' meeting, Sr. Roig gave an interview on the radio which I missed, but evidently it sounded as though he is more concerned with adding players than changing the coach. Of course as we know it is not necessarily easy to add players in the Segunda. As for the Rossi transfer he said it was better to spend money at this point on someone who could play the rest of the season, as well something about selling oranges when they are ripe rather than green which I must confess went beyond me!

And finally, there will be a bus going to Almeria (a long trip) for this Saturday's match at an unbelieveably low price of €10....would that we could take advantage of it. Endavant!