Kieran Maguire: Wes Edens and Nassef Sawiris to bankroll £100m Aston Villa masterplan
Aston Villa owners Wes Edens and Nassef Sawiris will likely provide 100 per cent of the funds for the expansion of Villa Park.
That is the view of finance guru Kieran Maguire, speaking exclusively to Football Insider about Villa’s plans to boost capacity at their 126-year-old stadium.
It was announced on 22 December that the club had secured approval from Birmingham City Council to add over 7,300 seats to Villa Park to take the total number beyond 50,000.
The redevelopment plans also include blueprints to revamp the surrounding site, including commercial and recreational facilities.
It is is believed that the project will cost Villa north of £100million.
Maguire forecasts that Edens and Sawiris will bankroll the construction costs in their entirety rather than seek external funding.
“Sawiris and Edens certainly have the capacity to provide 100 per cent of the funding for the expansion,” he told Football Insider’s Adam Williams.
“If we take a look at the way they have invested in the club to date, that has always been through the equity route.
“That has the advantage of having no interest payments. Shares don’t have to be repaid by the club, unlike loans.
“Therefore, the logical extension of that relationship would be for an equity investment into the club.
“Remember, all of the costs in relation to infrastructure are exempt from FFP.
“This means it will help the club going forwards in terms of being competitive in the transfer market.“
In other news, Aston Villa actively seeking sporting director backed by Unai Emery.