This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

Although Aston Villa’s summer transfer business saw 12 new players arrive at the club with over £130m shelled out in a bid to galvanise the newly-promoted side’s re-arrival in the Premier League, there can be no hiding that Dean Smith’s squad remains vulnerable.

Last Sunday’s defeat to Wolves saw captain Jack Grealish, centre-back Bjorn Engels and keeper Tom Heaton all absent from the match-day squad, and although the West Midlands side possesses relative depth, whether it is capable of withstanding a season in the top-flight remains to be seen.

Ezri Konsa stepped in at centre-back with a sense of maturity well beyond his 22 years of age, completing one tackle and an interception whilst Jed Steer was unfortunate to leave the field of play inside 10 minutes with an injury.

But with January on the horizon and Villa’s squad looking precariously placed to deal with the latter stages of the current campaign, Smith and owners Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens must sacrifice more of their finances to the transfer window. In doing so, it may help to nullify any potential fears of an immediate relegation from the top-flight.

With reports of a potential move for Rangers forward Alfredo Morelos, Villa appear to be aware of their lack of goalscoring back-up to club-record signing Wesley, and prioritising the front-line as well as further defensive recruits could be vital in their bid to avoid relegation. After all, Jonathan Kodjia has rarely been seen this term because of injury himself.

But most importantly, despite spending so heavily in the summer, shelling out in January could be essential in ensuring Villa’s re-arrival in the Premier League is not short-lived.

Sawiris and Edens will be all too aware that their summer onslaught of the market has the potential to heavily damage the club’s long-term sustainability, especially if they were not to remain a top-flight team for the 2020/21 campaign.

It may seem non-sensical to further jeopardise the club’s finances, especially considering the situation that arose with former owner Tony Xia in sanctioning heavy spending to then be issued with a winding-up petition from HMRC, but it is simply crucial that depending on the injuries that are present when the transfer window arrives, Villa are willing to act.

Smith may have to make movements in the market if Villa’s squad depth is to not be overly tested and the promising performances that have been seen, most notably against the top-six, are not in vain.

It could be time for Villa to roll the dice ahead of the upcoming transfer window – a small price to pay if Premier League safety can be ensured for the West Midlands outfit in 2020 and beyond.