Aston Villa Must Pay £2M Tax Bill By Friday

League Championship side Aston Villa's next tax bill of just more than £2M ($2.65M) is due to U.K. tax authority HMRC on Friday, "with the club confident it will be paid on time" despite its financial problems, according to Matt Hughes of the LONDON TIMES. Aston Villa was late in paying last month's bill, which has since been paid in two installments, due to Owner Tony Xia "failing to send the monthly payment to Villa Park," which has been keeping the club "afloat." This month's bill is "understood to be the tax due on last month's staff salaries," which were paid on time. Assuming Villa makes Friday's payment, its next "financial hurdle" will be paying its staff's June salaries, which are due on June 29. Villa insists it will be able to pay this month's wages after Xia secured "a series of posts earlier this month," but its financial position "remains precarious" (LONDON TIMES, 6/21).