Credit: Manh Tung, Breaking Media

Evan Lloyd

Sat 9 May 2026 14:30, UK

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Aston Villa’s owners, V Sports, are reportedly edging closer to a deal that will see French Ligue 2 club FC Annecy added to a multi-club group.

Defender Triston Rowe joined Les Rouges last summer, and more young Villans would be expected to make the switch every season if a deal goes through.

Multi-club ownership models have attracted huge criticism in recent years, however, with both Manchester City and Chelsea involved with French clubs.

Ligue 2 side Troyes fall under the City Football Group and have been involved in several odd transfers, such as the one that saw their club-record signing, Savinho, never actually make an appearance for them before joining the Premier League club.

Villa’s owners will be most concerned about what has happened under Chelsea’s watch at Strasbourg, however.

Chelsea are an enemy in Strasbourg

Football Insider exclusively revealed in January that Gary O’Neil had been offered the Strasbourg job, a deal that eventually went through just days after Liam Rosenior had been named Chelsea manager.

Rosenior had been doing a great job in France, leading his side to a seventh-place finish in Ligue 1 last season and overseeing the development of several young players.

The worst part is that Rosenior has lasted less than four months at Stamford Bridge, while the French club’s promising season lies dead in the water following a run of five defeats in six games under O’Neil.

Before BlueCo, Chelsea’s owners, arrived in 2023, Strasbourg were a mid-table Ligue 1 club, with their recent highlight being a sixth-place finish in the 2021-22 season.

Crucially, though, they were their own club, had control of their own players, and had hope of naturally progressing.

Now, Strasbourg have become a developmental ground for Chelsea, aware that any player showing promise is almost guaranteed a move to the Premier League giants in a cut-price deal.

Progress will still be made, but for many fans, it feels artificial.

Aston Villa must avoid Chelsea effect at FC Annecy

The Athletic reports that V Sports is closing in on acquiring a controlling stake in Annecy, with other clubs in Europe also eyed.

Villa will surely want to avoid the same effect that has been seen at Strasbourg, although some boundaries must be established to make the deal worth it.

Players will be loaned to the Ligue 2 club, and there may be some movement the other way if a particularly bright talent sprouts.

But some level of autonomy is important. Protests against BlueCo have been extremely common and fierce in Strasbourg, and that must be avoided at all costs.

Multi-club ownership appears to be a stain on the game that is here to stay, but Villa can at least go about it in the right way.