Aston Villa return for pre-season with club's future still uncertain
Villa’s players were due to return for pre-season training on Wednesday with the club’s future still in limbo.
Just five-and-a-half weeks on from defeat in the Championship play-off final, boss Steve Bruce and the majority of his playing squad were back at Bodymoor Heath, as questions over the Villa’s financial health continue to swirl.
Failure to gain promotion triggered a cash crisis for owner Tony Xia, who has rejected offers of investment in return for a stake in the club from two separate groups.
Two other consortiums are still struggling to make headway in negotiations with the China-based owner, who remains reluctant to relinquish control.
So great is the uncertainty, it is understood even those figures now responsible for the day-to-day running remain in the dark over Xia’s intentions, or the financial outlook beyond the end of the current month.
That in turn has impacted on Bruce’s plans for the summer transfer window, with Villa unable to move on proposed deals as they await the green light from China.
Villa narrowly avoided being hit with a winding-up order after missing a tax payment last month, after Xia’s struggles to effectively fund the club came to a head.
They are also facing legal action from former chief executive Keith Wyness, who is suing on the grounds of constructive dismissal.
A committee consisting of chief commercial officer Luke Organ, finance director Ian Hopson and lawyer Victoria Wilkes are currently in charge of operations at Villa Park.
Players were due to undergo fitness tests today, before flying out to a pre-season training camp in Portugal on Thursday.
Mile Jedinak, Birkir Bjarnason and Ahmed Elmohamady have all been given more time off after featuring at the World Cup.
