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Micky Arison has been offloading shares of Carnival Cruise Lines like crazy lately, and speculation has been rising that he may be interested in purchasing Aston Villa. It's worth noting that Arison had announced plans to sell a number of his shares well before Aston Villa were officially put up for sale, but that could have been a part of a plan to buy the club that reportedly fell through this spring. All told, he has liquidised just a bit less than £250 million in Carnival shares.
Now, when asked, Arison's spokesperson has refused to sink the rumours that the billionaire could be interested in purchasing the club, saying "As a general rule, we do not comment on such rumors." It's not confirmation, but it's certainly enough to keep the rumours alive. Given how little is going on at Aston Villa right now, expect to be hearing about Arison for a while.
If you'd like a more in-depth analysis of what Arison has been up to, check out Alex's really excellent analysis from yesterday of Arison's financial dealings this year.