Aston Villa sold to Chinese businessman

ASTON VILLA has been sold to Chinese businessman Dr Tony Xia, in a deal reported to be worth £60m.

The club’s chairman Steve Hollis has been in China  completing the deal for the club, which sees the end of American owner Randy Lerner’s decade-long reign just weeks after the club was relegated from the Premier League.

Dr Xia, who will become the club’s chairman, has taken 100% ownership of the club through Recon Group, his holding company which employs 35,000 people across 75 countries. The deal is subject to the approval of the Premier League and the Football League.

The club has said a new manager will be appointed “shortly”, with former Chelsea and West Brom manager Roberto di Matteo reported to be favourite for the job.

Aston Villa endured a torrid season, collecting just 17 points from 38 matches to finish bottom of the table, ending their ever-present run in the Premier League.

In a statement, Aston Villa confirmed the sale and welcomed the new owner.

It said: “Randy Lerner has sought the right new owner for Aston Villa who would take great care of the Club and restore its fortunes. He believes that Tony Xia is an excellent choice.

“Dr Xia played football as a striker until he finished at college and football has remained his passion. Dr Xia decided to buy an iconic football Club in England as the cornerstone of his Sports, Leisure and Tourism Division. He became a fan of Aston Villa many years ago and is delighted at the opportunity to become the new owner.

“Dr Xia’s immediate objective is to return Aston Villa to the Premier League and then to have the Club finish in the top six, bringing European football back to Villa Park. He plans to make Aston Villa the most famous football Club in China with a huge fan base.”