The Tony Xia era for Aston Villa feels like a world away from the club’s current status as a Premier League heavyweight.

Villa have enjoyed top four finishes and Champions League runs when just a few years ago they nearly went out of business.

Chinese businessman Xia bought the club in 2016 from American businessman Randy Lerner.

The club had just finished bottom of the Premier League and fans thought it was the chance to start again.

His true wealth was shrouded in mystery, thanks to the opaque nature of the Chinese business environment, but he claimed to be a billionaire.

When asked by The Mail if he was a dollar billionaire , he said: “I think it’s rather more than that.”

His grand plans for Villa included creating a football museum and theme park to try and attract foreign to

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