Aston Villa ‘up for sale’ as club faces winding-up order - report

The Midlands club suspended their CEO, Keith Wyness, following reports a tax bill of up to £4 million hadn’t been paid to HMRC on Tuesday.

The 1982 European Cup winners have been given an extension to pay the outstanding bill, though the grace period to make the payment could be as short as next week. And should Villa be unable to settle their outstanding debt to Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs, they could be walloped with a winding-up order.

Villa have spent vast sums on player wages and more than £70 million in transfers’s relegation in a bid to return to the Premier League following their relegation from the Championship just two seasons ago.

Sky Sports News reported that, officially, the club isn’t for sale but understand the owner Tony Xia, who has been in China since the play-off final defeat, is attempting to attract new investors to share the burden. He would apparently be prepared to cut his losses and sell the club for the right price.

Members of Villa’s board are set to meet on Wednesday to discuss how to solve the club’s current financial crisis and pay the outstanding tax bill.

However, the Claret and Blue outfit have another bill approaching which includes paying the players' wages. That is due on June 23 and is believed to be in excess of £8m.

Even before Villa’s tax problems came to the fore, it was widely known the club would need to shed some of their high earners in order to fulfil their Financial Fair Play obligations.

Last week John Terry – one of the club’s biggest stars demanding the highest wages – announced that he would not play for Villa in the Championship next season. And their most-prized asset, attacking midfielder Jack Grealish, could be sold in order to raise funds to ensure they’re compliant with FFP.

It is a sorry state of affairs for a club with a rich 144-year history; one European Cup, seven League titles and sevens FA Cups but who are now struggling to pay a tax bill. Less than a fortnight ago they were 90 minutes away from winning football’s most-lucrative match and once again reaching the promised land of the Premier League. How different things could have been..

However, Villa’s problems could be temporary, with a short-term cash flow problem for Dr Tony in China being at the heart of their current strife. But, in all honesty, Villa’s approach in trying to win promotion back to the Premier League looks to have been foolhardy.

It seems the powers-that-be at Villa Park gambled everything on getting out of the Championship within two years, but that defeat to Fulham at Wembley could have disastrous consequences.

For a club who have been treading very unfamiliar ground in recent seasons, it appears this next part of their history could prove pivotal in determining the future of one of England’s most prestigious clubs.