Aston Villa to acquire 46% of Portuguese club as part of global expansion plans

Aston Villa are set to buy a stake in the Primeira Liga club Vitoria SC.

Villa’s owners Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens are looking to acquire 46% of the Portuguese club as part of their ‘global expansion plans’. V Sports, which is the holding company of Villa, has now entered into a sale and purchase agreement, with the deal said to b worth around £4.9 million, according to The Athletic.

The club say that the agreement, which requires ratification by members of Vitória SC, signals an ‘important step forward’ in the global expansion of the V Sports group.

Formed in 1922, the Primeira Liga side are an established top-flight club and have competed regularly in European football competitions, reaching the Uefa Cup quarter-final in 1987. They also faced Villa in the same competition in 1983.

What has the club said about the deal?

Chairman Nassef Sawiris, a director of V Sports, said: “V Sports is delighted to be partnering with Vitória Sport Clube.Discussions, which have been ongoing for almost two years, have progressed thanks to the positive steps taken by the new management team led by Antonio Miguel Cardoso whose energy and vision has been a crucial component in reaching this agreement.”

António Miguel Cardoso, President of Vitória Sport Clube, said: “Since first meeting we found out that Mr Nassef Sawiris is a man of serious commitments and available to be the right partner which VSC needs in this important moment of our history.”Aston Villa Football Club is ultimately wholly owned by V Sports, a joint venture set up by Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens. V Sports purchased Aston Villa in July 2018.