Villa takeover set to be completed early next week

Fear not, Aston Villa fans, as it looks like Dr. Tony Xia’s takeover of the club is moving along swimmingly, with the official confirmation of its completion set to come early next week, the Telegraph has revealed.

John Percy’s report indicates Dr. Xia’s shown proof of the necessary funds to both the Premier League and the Football League, and that he’s passed their respective "fit and proper" tests to be confirmed as Villa’s new owner. While it seems like this process has dragged on — and that’s a natural feeling — this seems to be an interval of a pretty normal length, especially given Villa had to obtain clearance from both leagues.

Xia’s financial muscle had been called into question due to concerns over past business dealings but he has provided clear proof of funds, both for the forthcoming season and even the next.

That’s key, and should give Villa fans some hope that the £30 million transfer budget for this summer is, well, actually true. We all know this squad needs a significant overhaul, and that’s likely not something that can be done without an influx of cash. As we’ve expected throughout the process, Percy’s report indicates Keith Wyness, former Everton chief executive, will have a prominent role on this board and that current chairman Steve Hollis is set to leave following the successful takeover.

Once Dr. Xia’s takeover is complete, we can expect to see an official unveiling of Roberto Di Matteo and Steve Clark, who are set to provide perhaps the best manager/assistant combo we’ve had at B6 in quite some time.

The news is nothing unexpected, but it should hopefully end the so-called "witch hunt" against Dr. Xia some have alleged is underway. Sure, it was good to be a little sceptical, but it looks like we’re good to go next week — and that means we can move forward with supporting the "new" Aston Villa.