American businessman Randy Lerner has officially quit Aston Villa after the club’s sale to Chinese businessmanTony Xiawent through after clearance from the Premier League.
The club is now part of the Recon Group after owner Tony Xia went through various tests to determine his ability to run a football club. Lerner had been trying to sell the club since 2014 but without much success. One of those major stumbling blocks came in the form of the asking price of close to £ 200 million. Lerner had invested a similar sum of money since taking over the club in 2006.
However, following the club’s relegation to the Championship, the American became so disinterested with the possibility of owning the club that he decided to accept an offer in the region of £80 million. The club will now once again remain in the hands of foreign owners, as Chinese businessmenTony Xia has taken control.
However, the deal was not yet complete sinceTony Xia had to go through a fit and proper person’s test. This is a mandatory requirement for those looking to buy a football club in England and especially in the Premier League.Tony Xia claimed that he had been a fan of Aston Villa for several years. The club recently appointed Roberto di Matteo as the new manager.
“Aston Villa is delighted to confirm the sale of the club.The completion of 100 per cent ownership from Randy Lerner has been rubber-stamped by the Football League.Dr Xia has been informed he passed the owners and directors test and following the completion of paperwork, is now the Club’s new owner and chairman. A new board will be appointed later this week. Dr Xia’s immediate objective is to return Aston Villa to the Premier League,” said a statement on the club’s official site.
