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NSWE have another trick up their sleeve as Aston Villa owners dealt 'huge' £800m blow
We’re delighted to welcome former Aston Villa full-back Alan Hutton as our exclusive columnist. Each week he’ll be giving his views on the biggest talking points at Villa Park…
Alan Hutton believes Aston Villa owners Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens will have another trick up their sleeve after missing out on forming a new MLS franchise.
The Birmingham Mail reported on 18 May that the duo have been forced to shelve a “$1billion (£800m) investment” plan due to a “huge setback”.
That’s because NSWE were trying to form a new MLS club in Las Vegas, having trademarked the name Las Vegas Villans, after reaching an exclusive negotiating agreement with MLS.
However, Las Vegas lost out to San Diego, who will begin in MLS in 2025.
Although it may have been a missed opportunity to grow Aston Villa’s presence in the States, Hutton believes that savvy businessmen like Sawiris and Edens will have a fall-back plan to continue their expansion in the world of sport.
“Football’s definitely growing in the USA, it’s really getting big,” Hutton told Villa News.
“It’s not like it used to be years and years ago when it was just a kind of second thought because they’ve got real quality now over there.
“If this idea or venture is followed through, I’m pretty sure they’ve got others in the pipeline. These businessmen very rarely just have one option, they might have two or three.
“If that’s something they’re looking to get into or develop moving forward, I think it will still be there in their plans.
“This option didn’t work out but they’ll move on to the next one. That’s how these business guys work.”
NSWE have already bought into Portuguese club Vitora and Zed FC in Portugal this season.
In other Aston Villa news, the club has been told to sign a new striker amid Ollie Watkins’ ongoing situation at Villa Park.