Aston Villa are set to be transformed under Tony Xia – but will a promotion from the Championship follow?
It would be unfair to overlook the work Tony Xia has done at Aston Villa since taking over the club in the summer of 2016.
Compared to the disinterested Randy Lerner, Xia’s hands-on approach and constant communication with supporters has won him no shortage of admirers. But the Chinese businessman is not just an affable figurehead, he’s a shrewd operator too.
After investing over £80 million on new players last season, Xia has now ensured that Villa remain in the confines of Financial Fair Play. And that’s without mentioning his decision to fire Roberto di Matteo after just a few months in the helm before sticking with Steve Bruce despite mounting criticism from the fanbase.
With Villa currently fourth in the Championship table, it appears that Xia has not made too many bad calls so far. And the next priority on his list? Redevelop Villa Park.
A Modern Villa
“We have very big plans for Villa Park. We finished a plan in China a few weeks ago. We handed it to the management team here. It’s fair to say they were shocked,” Xia said in quotes reported by the Birmingham Mail.
“It will be something really different from what we can imagine from other clubs. One element will involve the North Stand, which I know people talk about a lot.
“The main point I want to make is it will have a very modern style but will definitely keep the historic feel, which is very important.”
As reporrted by World Football, Aston Villa boast the second highest average attendance in the Championship this season behind Leeds United.
But they still only tend to fill around 30,000 of the 42,000 capacity Villa Park – so getting the fans back on those claret and blue seats must be a priority.
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