It looks like Randy Lerner is in talks to sell up the Cleveland Browns. This will have obvious effects on his ownership of Aston Villa, if a deal goes through.
If he’s not bailing out of sports ownership all together, this could mean a few extra pennies to send Villa’s way. In short, it can’t do us any harm.
Below is a statement from Randy Lerner that I got from of the main Cleveland local paper, The Plain Dealer. Which ran with the story in their morning edition today.
Thanks to upthevilla.com for first alerting me on this, when were chatting American Football on twitter.
From the Cleveland Palin Dealer newspaper:
The following is the statement from Browns owner Randy Lerner regarding taking on a potential investor in the Browns:
“In connection with current rumors and press inquiries, I can report that I’ve been approached by Mr. Jimmy Haslam, who is interested in making an investment in the Cleveland Browns. We are currently in negotiations and both sides have agreed to keep that dialogue and its details private. Given that any transaction would require League approval, care has been taken so that this process will not be disruptive to the organization, in particular the football team, as it prepares for the upcoming season. We will share further details or make an announcement if it becomes necessary.”
Rumors surfaced over the past couple of months that Lerner was interested in selling the team, but the Browns and President Mike Holmgren said “the Browns are not for sale.”
Potentially, even more interesting times ahead for Villa next season, it seems…
