Aston Villa have decided to improve their collaboration with one of the Portuguese sides, which might include a summer transfer.
Aston Villa owners, V Sports, have reportedly been making progress in moving their cooperation with Portuguese outfit Vitoria Guimaraes in a new direction. The club, which only finished ninth last season, was taken over by the Premier League side in 2023.
According to reports in O Bola via Sport Witness, the representatives from each side met to discuss their partnership after a visit to the academy.
“The multi-club project involving Aston Villa and Vitória has faced regulatory hurdles since V Sports first invested in the Portuguese club in 2023. However, the latest meetings suggest the focus is now shifting towards practical collaboration on and off the pitch.”
The meeting, which was attended by Vitoria Guimaraes president Rui Rodrigues and sporting director Fernando Meira, discussed various issues to strengthen the strategic cooperation between the two clubs.
Regarding the collaboration on the pitch, the possibility of summer transfers was certainly among the topics, as the Portuguese side are hoping to reach an agreement with Villa over players who could ply their trade there, either permanently or on loan.
There has never been any player who has moved between the two clubs. The closest case was Ibrahima Bamba. The Italian defender of Ivorian descent was on the verge of moving to Villa Park in 2023 before the transfer collapsed. He eventually signed for Qatari side Al Duhail instead. Besides the possibility of summer transfers, the clubs are also discussing talent development as well as professional football operations.
Aston Villa, who were represented by V Sports senior executives, the global director of football development and international academies, and, last but not least, Roberto Olabe, the president of football operations, during the visit, also held talks on cooperation plans off the pitch, such as sporting strategy, financial planning, and sustainability.
Back in 2023, there were concerns about their partnership, which could have been seen as a violation of UEFA’s regulations on multi-club ownership, especially if both teams competed in the same continental competition. Yet, Vitoria insisted this would not be an issue as V Sports did not hold a majority stake and were not in control of the club’s management.
The European football governing body still carried out an assessment, which resulted in significant adjustments. V Sports’ stake was reduced from 46% to 29%, along with the withdrawal of owners Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens from plans to join the club’s board.
There has been no confirmation yet regarding any possible summer transfers between the two teams, but their collaboration is likely to be expanded in the near future.
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