Stefan Borson disputes valuation of new Aston Villa deal: 'Very unlikely'
Aston Villa's new front-of-shirt sponsorship with Visit Rwanda is likely to be less valuable than previously reported.
That is according to former Manchester City financial adviser Stefan Borson, who exclusively told Football Insider that the reported £20million is likely to be a total package rather than an up-front fee.
Eyebrows were raised when Visit Rwanda were announced as Villa's front-of-shirt sponsors for the 2026-27 campaign, but time was running out at B6.
Unai Emery's side had been just one of multiple Premier League club desperate for a deal due to the upcoming ban on gambling sponsors.
Due to the humanitarian issues in Rwanda, there appears to be a fallout over the new deal at Villa Park. And to make matters worse, the deal may not be worth £20m as reported.
Villa's deal with Betano was believed to be £20m without bonuses, and there is a huge debate over whether the current deal is any more valuable.
Aston Villa deal 'subject to bonuses'
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, Borson revealed doubts over the £20m figure, suggesting that winning the Champions League could even be one of the clauses.
"If it is £20m... there's a lot of talk about it being subject to bonuses and things like that. So you don't know what the mix is," he said.
"How much of that is bedded in as guarantee, and how much of it requires them to win the Champions League or something like that?
"With the greatest respect, they're very unlikely to do so. How much is the base fee? How does it ramp up over the years?
"What is the inventory that they've given as part of the deal? Because that's also an important element. How much of the inventory can be sold elsewhere?"
Villa Park faithful make their feelings known
Former Villa player Stan Collymore has even voiced his displeasure at the new deal, dubbing it a "truly awful look" for the owners at B6.
Some supporters have suggested that they may avoid buying the new kit with the sponsor on, rather choosing to "stick to the blank sponsor kits".
There is no doubt that the Villans were desperate for a front-of-shirt sponsor, but the growing majority are upset by the new announcement.