Randy Lerner’s bid to take over Aston Villa may not be as straightforward as it first seemed after the man fronting a rival consortium pledged to continue the battle for the club.

The battle to take control of Aston Villa is expected to intensify in the next few days despite the club showing a £8.2m (€12.2m) pre-tax loss for the year ending May 31, 2006.

Two of the consortiums interested in buying Aston Villa may join forces to try and win the takeover battle.

RANDY LERNER’S re-emergence as a major contender to buy Aston Villa could pave the way for Martin O’Neill to be appointed manager sooner rather than later.