Villa takeover gets the thumbs up

Aston Villa players have given their backing to the proposed £64m (€93.3m) takeover bid by an Irish consortium which could be completed in the next few days.

Ardent Villa fan Michael Neville, who is fronting the bid from property developers Brian and Luke Comer, has admitted talks with club chairman and leading shareholder Doug Ellis have been positive.

It is unclear how much cash would be available to manager David O’Leary should the deal go through after Neville claimed Champions League football is a possibility within three years.

But defender Mark Delaney and record signing Juan Pablo Angel believe it could be a positive move for a club which has stagnated in recent years.

Delaney, who last week submitted a transfer request, said: “If it (the takeover) does happen it would be a big lift.

“The fans want to see the club going in a direction which is positive. As players, we’ve just got to get results on the pitch and everything else will follow.”

Angel said: “If it is good for the club, it is good for everyone. You never know if a takeover will be good but I am sure the directors will make the best decision for the club and the future.

“When you have money, it means you are going to get more quality players and that is good.”

It was originally hoped any takeover would be completed before Christmas but the start of the new year now seems the earliest time to mark the end of Ellis’ 23 years at the helm.