SOCCER/FA Premiership: Martin O'Neill is too diplomatic to be drawn on the takeover saga engulfing Aston Villa although privately he must wish he could have the ears of every minority shareholder to stress the important role they could play in shaping the club's future.
With Randy Lerner on the verge of assuming control at Villa Park after his £62.6-million offer for the Premiership club was accepted yesterday, O'Neill can almost smell the money that is certain to come his way when the American billionaire replaces Doug Ellis as chairman.
The Villa manager stands to benefit from Lerner's considerable wealth. O'Neill will be awarded the longest managerial contract in the Premiership when the takeover goes through. He had signed a 12-month rolling deal on arrival although that is set to be torn up and replaced by a five-year contract worth around £10 million.
Not that the promise of a personal windfall is fuelling O'Neill's desire to see Lerner installed as soon as possible. The transfer window closes at the end of the month and at present it is unlikely the takeover will be completed by then, denying the Villa manager the chance to get his hands on any of Lerner's cash until January.
The process could, however, be speeded up if shareholders, who have 21 days to return the offer documents landing on their doorsteps this morning, reply with haste.
Lerner has accumulated 56.85 per cent of the club's shares through agreements reached with the Villa board and major shareholder Jack Petchey, but he is anxious to take that figure to nearer 90 per cent before proceeding with the takeover and making his offer unconditional. Should the smaller shareholders, none of whom is believed to own more than a one-per-cent stake, signal their willingness to sell immediately, it is plausible Lerner could be in place before the window shuts.
That realisation is likely to lead to a flurry of paperwork being returned to Villa Park over the next few days as many of the minority shareholders are Villa fans long disenchanted with Ellis's tenure as chairman and eager to see a change of ownership at the top.
In a statement to the stock exchange yesterday morning, the Villa board recommended shareholders accept Lerner's offer as the club's directors "have irrevocably undertaken to do in respect of their own shareholdings".
That agreement gives Lerner a stake of 35.91 per cent, which will be boosted by the 20.94 per cent Petchey has confirmed he will sell.
The American anticipates accumulating the remainder of the Villa shares and eventually reregistering Aston Villa as a private limited company.
A 10-day window gives other parties the opportunity to table rival bids but there are no other significant shareholders to destabilise his attempts to gain power, while the three consortiums involved in the takeover race do not have the financial muscle to compete.
Lerner's £800-million personal fortune means he is able to purchase Villa with a straight-cash bid.
How quickly the shareholders tick the right box will dictate when the revolution begins.
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