bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

moreOnThisArticles

urlAlias

commentCount

sponsorType

authorLocations

authors

paywallTypes

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

socialHeadline

headline

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

publishedDate

additionalInfoBoxes

images

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

createdDate

sponsor

factSheets

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

copyrighted

customTimezone

liveContents

Agence France-Presse

Aston Villa have been sold to a Chinese group owned by Dr Tony Xia Jiantong, the Championship club announced on Wednesday, in a deal worth a reported US$86 million.
Villa crashed out of the Premier League after a miserable season that saw the Midlands team win just three of their 38 matches, but that has not stopped Dr Xia making his move.
US-based owner Randy Lerner had been trying to sell Villa for two years and has finally found a buyer after significantly lowering his asking price to a reported £60 million (HK$673.7 million).

“Aston Villa Football Club is pleased to announce that an agreement has been signed today for the sale of 100 per cent ownership by Randy Lerner to Recon Group owned by Dr Tony Jiantong Xia subject to the approval of the Premier League and the Football League,” a Villa statement read.
“Once those approvals have been granted and the new board members approved under the fit and proper rules of both leagues, Dr Xia will become chairman of Aston Villa.”
A BBC reporter, Pat Murphy, said. “The new chairman, Dr Tony Xia, is a prominent businessman and a seriously impressive business leader in China.”
Villa chairman Steve Hollis flew to China to complete the deal as soon as their woeful top-flight campaign was completed last weekend.
Dr Xia’s immediate objective is to return Aston Villa to the Premier League and then finish in the top six
Villa statement
Villa are now managerless after sacking Remi Garde in March, but former Leicester boss Nigel Pearson and ex-Chelsea chief Roberto Di Matteo are reportedly the leading candidates to step in now a takeover has been agreed.
Dr Xia and the new manager will take charge with Villa condemned to second tier action for the first time since 1987-88 and with morale among supporters at an all-time low after months of protests against Lerner and the underperforming players.
“The club will announce the appointment of a new manager shortly,” the Villa statement continued.
“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.
“Recon Group is Dr Xia’s privately owned holding company that owns the controlling interest in five publicly listed companies on the Hong Kong and Chinese stock exchanges and many other private companies employing 35,000 people in 75 countries.”
Leicester City triumph is why we love football: soccer world reacts to incredible Foxes fairytale
According to Villa’s website, Dr Xia decided to buy “an iconic football club in England as the cornerstone of his sports, leisure and tourism division”.
The statement says he became “a fan of Aston Villa many years ago” and “played football as a striker until he finished at college”.
Dr Xia’s move for Villa comes after a glorious season for Thailand’s Srivaddhanaprabha family, who bought Leicester in 2010 and transformed the club into unlikely Premier League champions with the considerable help of manager Claudio Ranieri, in the process making them a huge hit in Asia.
He plans to make Aston Villa the most famous football Club in China with a huge fan base
Villa statement
Now Dr Xia has set his sights of taking Villa back into the Premier League’s top six and attracting the backing of Chinese sports fans.
“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,” the Villa statement read.
“He plans to make Aston Villa the most famous football Club in China with a huge fan base.”
Lerner, in a long farewell message, said Dr Xia has the enthusiasm and experience needed to redevelop Villa Park in a bid to provide improved revenue streams.
“As we visited together, and had some unrushed time to discuss his plans, Tony’s excitement to develop Villa Park shone through,” Lerner said.
“I remain convinced that this is a crucial part of the club’s future as it provides a critical, long-term second source of revenue and therefore sustainability for the club from which squad-funding can potentially come.”
Additional reporting by Reuters



Chelsea crush tame champions Leicester City in dominant Stamford Bridge display

Striking out: Harry Kane bemoans lack of scoring chances  for England at Euro 2016

Another Chinese EPL football club owner? Liverpool become the latest club linked to an Asian takeover

From Cardiff getting Tanned to Thais delivering the title to Leicester: the very mixed fortunes of five Asian-owned English clubs

English Premier League 2015-16

Chinese businessman Tony Xia agrees to buy Aston Villa for reported £60 million

Aston Villa fans hold up a banner calling for the departure of then chairman Randy Lerner. Photo: AFP

Britain Soccer Football - Aston Villa v Newcastle United - Barclays Premier League - Villa Park - 7/5/16 Aston villa fan with a sign in protest of owner Randy Lerner outside the stadium before the match Action Images via Reuters / Jason Cairnduff Livepic EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or "live" services. Online in-match use limited to 45 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please contact your account representative for further details.

** FILE ** Cleveland Browns owner Randy Lerner watches the team's football minicamp practice in Berea, Ohio in this June 13, 2005 photo. Lerner is set to take over Aston Villa after a rival group failed Thursday, Aug . 24, 2006, to match his bid to buy the Premier League soccer team. A group led by Michael Neville and Nicolas Padfield could not better the $118.8 million bid Lerner made Aug. 14 to buy Villa, one of the oldest teams in English soccer. Lerner would be the second American owner of a Premier League team, and the fourth foreign owner. Last year, Tampa Bay Buccaneers owner Malcolm Glazer took over at Manchester United, one of the most popular teams in the world. (AP Photo/Mark Duncan)

Sport

Football

American Randy Lerner, who has been trying to sell the club for two years, has finally found a buyer in China
