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New owner Tony Xia could re-name Villa Park

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New Aston Villa owner Tony Xia is considering plans to re-brand Villa Park upon completion of his takeover of the club, according to a report in the Beijing Times.

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The Chinese businessman this week agreed to buy the claret and blues Villa from Amercian Randy Lerner, who had been looking to sell since 2014.

And as part of the drive to try to get Villa promoted back to the Premier League as soon as possible, Xia is considering changing the name of the Villa Park.

It's been the club's home since 1897 but could revert title to possibly to incorporate the name of Lotus Health Group, of which he owns a significant stake.

Xia told the Beijing Times: "One of the things we have thought about is using the Lotus Health name to re-brand Villa Park.

"Villa Park is a very historical stadium, so we will not simply and callously destroy a club's history.

"We want to use Villa's history and its' substantial fan base around the world to also promote Lotus Health products and services globally.

"The ideal scenario would be for fans to enjoy Lotus Health products at Lotus Villa Park, it would be a great great advert for both brands."

Any such change to the name of Villa Park could run the risk of angering supporters.

The report also claims that Xia will try to get fans on side by promising major investment in the transfer market.

The new owner has claimed he is ready to give the club's new manager, likely to be either Roberto Di Matteo or Nigel Pearson, up to £50million to spend in the summer.

Villa are looking for an immediate return to the top flight. His takeover is expected to be ratified by the Football League and Premier League in the next two to three weeks.