Ellis to vet Villa bids

Chairman Doug Ellis insists he must be satisfied any would-be buyers of Aston Villa are “the right people to take the club forward” before he relinquishes control.

Irish property developers the Comer brothers and Villa fan Michael Neville remain optimistic a £64m (€93m) takeover of Villa could be completed by Christmas.

Ellis, the club’s leading shareholder, has admitted he is finally ready to loosen his grip over Villa after 23 years at the helm.

But he is determined to ensure whoever takes charge has the best long-term interests of Villa at heart.

Ellis said: “I have to face the fact that I am 82 in January and, as long as I can find the right people to take the club forward, I would be prepared to sell.

“But it isn’t just about money. It’s about the club and what happens to it afterwards.

“I don’t want a situation where if someone takes over, they will asset-strip, for example. I want to be confident they are the right people.”

Ellis could be poised to retain a key role at Villa – possibly even remaining as chairman – as it is understood the Comers and Neville are keen not to dispense with his services.

They recognise his role making Villa one of the best-run clubs in the country and of the part also played by operations director Steve Stride and company secretary Marion Stringer.

Although keen to take Villa forward – and that would include substantial funds being made available for Villa manager David O’Leary to spend in January – the Comers and Neville acknowledge the business acumen of Ellis.

And it was the long-serving Stride who effectively ran the club throughout the summer while Ellis recovered from triple heart by-pass surgery and after the departure of chief executive Bruce Langham in May.