Who you meet at SportAccord And Why it Matters
22 Jan 2026 10:48

It has been reported on BBC Sport that Chinese businessman Tony Xia is set to pay£52 million through an escrow account to Randy Lerner, current owner of English football club Aston Villa FC.
According to BBC Sport, Dr. Tony Xia’s Villa deal is “not on the verge of collapse” despite continuing inquiries from both the English Football Association and the Football League.
The report said Dr. Tony Xia has guaranteed to take on an existing debt of£25m and to cover the cost of club operations for the next two seasons. In addition to the debt, the Chinese investor will pay an extra £25m to Randy Lerner if Aston Villa FC are promoted to the English Premier League within three seasons.
Recon Group, owned by Dr. Tony Xia, has already agreed this £60m deal with Villa’s American owner Randy Lerner last month. However, the deal is yet to be approved by the English FA and the Football League.
Source: BBC
Proofread by Sean O Diobhilin
Related coverage
Ronaldo Academy reaches agreements with Alibaba Sports
19 Nov 2015
China investing big in sports towns
25 Aug 2017
China sportswear profit drops 30.6% for the first quarter
18 May 2015
The GASC Information Center Reaches Agreement with Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd
14 Aug 2020
Ledman to buy subway TV ad business for US$119M
17 Feb 2016
More from Yutang Sports
SportAccord Convention 2026 sets its sights on sport’s digital frontier
21 Mar 2026
Where to stay in Baku: the SportAccord 2026 Official Hotels
29 Jan 2026
A Diverse Iine-up of Exhibitors Joins the SportAccord Convention
28 Jan 2026
A turning point for global sport: IBA President Umar Kremlev and Donald Trump Jr join forces
30 Sep 2025
“Connect & Cultivate”: a 24-hour Networking Ecosystem at SportAccord 2026
03 Mar 2026
Yutang Sports
Chinese website
loading...