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Aston Villa have taken significant steps to address financial concerns by finalising a deal to transfer ownership of their women’s football team to V Sports, the investment vehicle controlled by club owners Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens. The sale will also involve external American investors acquiring a stake in the team.
Despite recent financial losses, Villa maintain they are not currently at risk of breaching the Premier League's Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR) and are said to be in “constructive dialogue” with UEFA over compliance with financial fair play regulations.
V Sports, formerly known as NSWE until its rebranding in 2021, already holds minority stakes in Vitória S.C. of Portugal and Real Unión in Spain. The company also has partnership arrangements with ZED FC in Egypt and Japan’s Vissel Kobe.
Villa’s women’s side will continue to operate under the broader corporate umbrella of V Sports, helping attract new financial backers while remaining aligned with the parent group’s multi-club strategy.
According to The Telegraph, Villa plan to raise around £55 million through the deal, with 10% of the team being sold to an outside investor and the remaining 90% taken over by V Sports. “The sale would help raise the funds necessary to satisfy the Premier League's rules without selling a first-team player, a move Chelsea have also used in the past.”
However, these types of sales do not help in UEFA’s calculations. European competition rules prohibit such asset sales from being included in squad cost ratio assessments. Instead, clubs must keep transfer fees and wages within 70% of their revenue. “Villa have reportedly agreed a plan with UEFA to bring their ratio down by 10% in each of the next two years.”
The sale of the women’s team follows two years of significant losses at Villa, £119.6 million in 2022–23 and £85.4 million in 2023–24, totalling £195 million. These losses had sparked fears of a PSR breach, though investments in areas such as women’s football, infrastructure, and youth development are exempt from the calculations.
“A sale of the women’s team can be included in the 2024-25 accounts after Monday’s accounting deadline, providing it has been agreed in principle.”
The club is reportedly not entertaining sales of top players like Ollie Watkins or Morgan Rogers, with goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez also under contract until 2029. “Villa have no desire to sell assets such as Morgan Rogers or Ollie Watkins.”
Last year, the club raised £42 million from Douglas Luiz’s sale to Juventus just before the PSR deadline, allowing them to avoid sanctions. Despite this, Villa are expected to be fined after reportedly breaching UEFA’s squad cost ratio rules last season.
Villa’s men’s team finished sixth in the Premier League last season, securing Europa League qualification, while the women’s side achieved the same position in the Women’s Super League. Both teams have competed in the top flight since the 2020–21 campaign.
As the June 30 deadline closes in, Villa remain under pressure to meet financial thresholds without sacrificing the competitive core of their men’s or women’s squads. The strategy of internal sales and asset restructuring is increasingly becoming a path clubs like Chelsea and Villa pursue to remain financially compliant without weakening their on-pitch ambitions.
Featured Image Credit: Instagram / @avwfcofficial
