Villa stars saved from bringing in dinner money

The cash crisis at Villa Park was so bad that first-team stars were being asked to stump up for their own grub.

But the £55million sale to Anglo-egyptian billionaires has rescued the former European champions.

Villa were within days of going to the wall with this week’s payroll due to tip them over the edge, potentially into administration.

So acute were the problems that Bruce’s players had been forced to dig into their own pockets to use the canteen at the club’s Bodymoor Heath training ground.

Menu

The first-team players returned from a pre-season camp in Portugal to be told that they would have to cough up and pay for their food.

Villa’s young academy professionals had been hit with a subsidised £2.50 charge – but seniors had to pay the going rate.

In common with most clubs, Villa have a restaurant quality facility at their state-of-the-art training base.

The club had taken full care of the players’ nutrition both before and after training, with menus drawn up under the guidance of a sports dietician as befits the needs of today’s highly-trained athletes.

One insider said: “The menu is top drawer. On Thursday there was fish, chicken, pasta, sweet potatoes... the list goes on.

“We’ve always been well looked after, so no complaints. Only now we’re being told to pay for it.” But that looks to be a thing of the past after Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens – coowner of Milwaukee Bucks basketball team – concluded their joint bid to take charge.

And it can be revealed that outgoing owner Dr Tony Xia turned down a £90m offer from a Saudi Arabian investment group, preferring to deal with construction magnate Sawiris and financier Edens. It is understood that Xia will maintain a seat on the board of directors, but that his influence will be diluted as more of his stake is sold off.

As for the manager, he will learn his fate on Tuesday when he is due to meet the new purchasers face to face.

Bruce has already received verbal assurances that he will remain in his position – but that will be clarified in the next 48 hours. He has also been told to make contact with both Stoke and Tottenham over the potential sales of James Chester and Jack Grealish.

Relegated

Stoke, who were relegated from the Premier League at the end of last season, were said to be close to a deal for Wales international Chester.

Had the takeover not been completed so quickly, the central defender would almost certainly have been the first to be sacrificed.

Tottenham were hopeful of striking a deal for Grealish ahead of the takeover, despite Bruce’s wish to build a promotion push around the 22-year-old playmaker.

Grealish had made it known that he wanted to remain at his boyhood club.

And that prospect is looking increasingly likely with the new investment on board.