Kieran Maguire issues ‘huge’ Aston Villa claim after £5m takeover news
Aston Villa will feel “huge benefits” after owners Wes Edens and Nassef Sawiris complete the £4.8million takeover of Portuguese club Vitoria de Guimaraes.
That is the opinion of finance expert Kieran Maguire, who spoke exclusively to Football Insider about why Portugal is emerging as an attractive location for multi-club ownership.
Edens and Sawiris purchased a controlling stake in Villa in 2018 and five years later, they have extended their ownership in football through Vitoria de Guimaraes.
Villa released a statement last Tuesday (14 February) stating that the club’s holding company V Sports had entered a purchase agreement for 46 per cent of the Portuguese outfit.
The Daily Mail reported that current Chelsea owner Todd Boehly has also discussed purchasing a club in Portugal as the American is keen on adopting a multi-club ownership model.
Maguire believes the appeal of Portugal in particular comes from its impressive export market of footballers as well as the nation’s close ties to Brazil.
“Portugal is the biggest export market of footballers in Europe,” Maguire told Football Insider.
“So you know that you’re getting quality at relatively modest costs.
“Portugal is also in many respects the gateway to Brazil because of the common language that they have and the historic links.
“So having an MCO Based in Portugal increases the chances of identifying talent in Brazil and bringing it across to the MCO.
“Then you’ve got some talent acquired at a low cost from a market which historically has been very high quality.
“So you can see the logic and you can see the huge benefits of going down this particular route.“
In other news, Leeds United and Aston Villa plotting to sign Celtic sensation Borland