Aston Villa plan 'South American deal', NSWE to expand empire
Aston Villa are hoping to add a South American club to their ownership portfolio in the coming months.
That is according to former Villa chief executive Keith Wyness, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, who believes that NSWE are ready to expand their empire.
This comes alongside the news that the second city outfit are advertising for a new scouting role in South America.
Wyness is adamant that the addition of a South American club to the portfolio would "make sense" for the Villans, while he also suggested that Mexican sides could be of interest.
V Sports, which is led by Villa owners Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens, currently hold minority stakes in the likes of Annecy, Vitoria Guimaraes and Japanese outfit Vissel Kobe.
The owners are now looking to expand their empire into South America, in a move that could benefit Villa long-term.
Aston Villa expansion 'on the horizon'
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 further investment is "on the horizon" for NSWE.
Sawiris and Edens have big ambitions for the club in the coming years, but they are also keen to build a multi-club empire.
Speaking on the latest edition of Football Insider's Inside Track podcast, Wyness explained how an expansion could be in the pipeline sooner rather than later.
"It makes sense for Villa to do that. I think that they may even be looking to potentially be looking to buy a club in South America at some stage as part of the group," he said.
"There's a lot of legal changes in different countries, Argentina, Brazil, et cetera, in terms of ownership of clubs that have been happening in Colombia even.
"It's something that would make sense for Villa in terms of moving that forward. I've seen a lot more interest in South American clubs in recent days, with Mexico as well as another area with big interest right now.
"So all those things are on the horizon."
Aston Villa under 'great stress' after settlement agreement
Former Manchester City financial advisor Stefan Borson recently told Football Insider that Villa's "great stress" over their financial situation has forced them to increase their ticket prices this season.
The club were recently hit by another fine from UEFA following a settlement agreement, and are also toeing the line when it comes to SCR.
Borson believes that Villa can legitimately say that they had "no choice" but to up the prices, as they face an ever-increasing need for more revenue.
Unai Emery's side have returned to Champions League football for this season, but need to sustain it moving forward.