EPL side Aston Villa Owner Randy Lerner confirmed that "he has put the Midlands club up for sale," according to Brendan McLoughlin of the LONDON TIMES. There "had been mounting speculation surrounding a potential takeover of Villa," whom Lerner bought for £62.6M ($106M) in '06, of late, with at least one American consortium rumored to be interested in a £200M ($337M) deal. Last month Lerner had vowed to address the issue come the end of the season and, in a statement less than 24 hours after the campaign’s conclusion, he confirmed he has "engaged Bank of America Merrill Lynch to advise on the sale of Aston Villa." Lerner said, "I have come to know well that fates are fickle in the business of English football. And I feel that I have pushed mine well past the limit" (LONDON TIMES, 5/12). REUTERS' Keith Weir wrote Lerner said that "he had grown tired of the side's struggles with injuries and recent rumours that he planned to sell up." Lerner: "I owe it to Villa to move on, and look for fresh, invigorated leadership, if in my heart I feel I can no longer do the job." The club lost more than £50M in '12-13 but said that its finances had improved over the past year as the EPL "enjoys lucrative new television contracts." The club "is forecasting revenues" of around £116M ($196M) for the year to the end of May and operating profit of about £17M ($29M) (REUTERS, 5/12). ESPN's Kevin Palmer wrote Villa Manager Paul Lambert confirmed after Sunday's final Premier League game of the season at Tottenham that "he was keen to remain in his post even if there is a change of ownership" (ESPN, 5/12). In London, Duncan Robinson wrote one source close to the club said Lerner was looking for a "good custodian" for Aston Villa. However, "he may struggle to find buyers, given the huge amounts of cash required to have a successful crack at top-flight English football" -- even as the financial rewards on offer grow. In a "florid statement -- by the taciturn standards of most football chairmen" -- Lerner added, "On a personal level it is time for me, like the Shunammite, to dwell among my own and get on with other aspects of my career, following a sale" (FINANCIAL TIMES, 5/12).
