Aston Villa have splashed the cash in the last year or so, with the likes of Leon Bailey, Lucas Digne and Philippe Coutinho moving to Villa Park. With the new arrivals came a larger wage bill and that could increase even more this year, with potential summer signings joining the already signed Diego Carlos.
The Villans are clearly a club with European football in mind; they just need the consistency to earn that place. That's something Gerrard will hope to add in his full season in charge, as he looks to dislodge his side from the depths of mid-table and into the excitement of the top half.
Those at Villa Park will be desperate to see the money make a difference on the pitch next season, though, as they look to reach higher ambitions.
With that said, as per SalarySport, you can see last season’s wages at Aston Villa below...
Philippe Coutinho - £150,000
Danny Ings - £100,000
Lucas Digne - £100,000
Ashley Young - £88,000
Leon Bailey - £85,000
Emiliano Buendia - £82,000
Ezri Konsa - £72,000
John McGinn - £70,000
Jacob Ramsey - £70,000
Tyrone Mings - £67,000
Bertrand Traore - £63,000
Morgan Sanson - £59,000
Douglas Luiz - £52,000
Calum Chambers - £52,000
Emiliano Martinez - £47,000
Ollie Watkins - £44,000
Anwar El Ghazi - £38,000
Marvelous Nakamba - £34,000
Kortney Hause - £25,000
Keinan Davis - £25,000
Matty Cash - £24,000
Jed Steer - £20,000
Carney Chukwuemeka - £2,400
Cameron Archer - £2,400
On the whole, the wages all seem fair at Aston Villa, with every player around the mark they should be at when considering their role in the squad. When compared to other Premier League clubs, Villa rank 12th for highest wage bill, which reflects their final league position of 14th last season.
But they deserve some credit for how low their wage bill was last season, despite attracting Champions League quality players to the club such as Coutinho and Bailey. Come the end of next season, however, if their ambitions are anything to go by Villa’s wage bill could rank much higher compared to the rest of the Premier League.
The summer transfer window still has a long way to go, too. With so long left, we could see the Midlands club splash the cash once more before Deadline Day arrives. Likewise, we could also see some outgoings before the window is up. Gerrard will know which players are capable of achieving the goals that have been set out, and which players are surplus to requirements.
But come the end of August, Gerrard will hope to have a squad moulded in his image of what it takes for a club to gain European football.