Randy Lerner is ready to stand down as chairman of Aston Villa this summer if he does not manage to sell the club. He has already made moves to put a new board in place if a takeover is not completed.
In a rare in depth interview in The Times, Lerner accepts that he should have stood aside years ago because of family and work commitments in the United States. His original plan had been to move to England which would have made the role of executive chairman more feasible.
Randy Lerner is ready to stand down as chairman of Aston Villa this summer if he does not manage to sell the club. He has already made moves to put a new board in place if a takeover is not completed.
In a rare in depth interview in The Times, Lerner accepts that he should have stood aside years ago because of family and work commitments in the United States. His original plan had been to move to England which would have made the role of executive chairman more feasible.
Lerner could have sold Villa last year, but pulled out of the deal because he was unhappy with the way in which negotiations were progressing. He will not sell if he was not happy with the offer, which he would expect to be inthe £150 to £200m range, and the willingness of the new owners to immerse themselves in the local fabric.
Talks are continuing with several prospective buyers, including groups backed from China and the United States. Reports that a consortium led by former Chelsea chief executive Paul Smith and including Tony Adams are close to concluding a deal are thought to be wide of the mark.