Aston Villa have sealed 'last real grab' after agreeing record £6m-a-year deal - Keith Wyness
Aston Villa have secured another impressive sponsorship deal by agreeing to feature Betano on the sleeves of their 2026-27 shirts.
That is according to former Villa chief executive Keith Wyness, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, who believes that the gambling company were making their final roll of the dice to be involved this season.
Betano were Villa's front-of-shirt sponsor last term, but the suspension of gambling companies in that department has forced them to alter their partnership slightly.
However, Wyness believes that Villa have acted sensibly to exploit Betano's desperation and secure an agreement worth £6million-a-year.
The club have partnered with Betano for another three campaigns, with the total value of the agreement understood to be pushing towards the £20m mark.
It has reportedly set a new record for the most valuable sleeve sponsorship that Villa have ever agreed.
Betano 'paying over the odds'
Villa's former chief Wyness - who served as CEO at Villa Park between 2016 and 2018 and now runs a consultancy business advising elite clubs - believes that Betano have paid "over the odds" to be involved with Villa again.
Unai Emery's side have enjoyed sustained success in recent years, and the Scottish businessman made it clear that they now have a stronger hand to play when it comes to sponsorship deals.
Speaking on the latest edition of Football Insider's Inside Track podcast, he explained why the club have been clever with their latest agreement.
"I think it's a mixture. I think it's partly to do with Villa certainly progressing in terms of European football; they're a forward-thinking club, Emery has brought success, et cetera," Wyness said.
"But also it's the betting industry's last real grab at trying to get some football assets. They know that football is very important in terms of their marketing. So they're paying a little bit over the odds for some of these opportunities.
"Who knows if the government are going to try and clamp down further and go from front to shirt to sleeve and training kit. I certainly hope not because that would be wrong in my opinion and a restraint of trade for the wrong reasons.
"It's good for Villa, but as I say, it isn't just about Villa making progress, it's also about betting companies being really desperate to capitalise on the last opportunities."
Aston Villa to save 'millions' with '£150,000 deal'
Wyness previously told Football Insider earlier this week that Villa's move to appoint Burnley's Pal Fjelde as their new set-piece coach could see the Norwegian earn up to "£150,000" each year.
The Villans are in talks to appoint the Burnley man as Austin MacPhee's successor, after he recently departed for Chelsea.
Wyness believes that if Fjelde can make a big impact at Villa Park through goals from set-pieces, then the club could save "millions" by getting a similar level of output from a striker that they could have potentially signed.
Wyness is adamant that it is a good move from his former club, and believes that set-piece coaches are currently undervaluing themselves within the game.