Aston Villa: NSWE have Chelsea calamity warning signs as FC Annecy move edges closer
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Credit: Manh Tung, Breaking Media Sat 9 May 2026 14:30, UK Aston Villa’s owners, V Sports, are reportedly edging closer to a deal that will see French Ligue 2 club FC Annecy added to a multi-club group.Defender Triston Rowe joined Les Rouges last summer, and more young Villans would be expected to make the switch every season if a deal goes through.Multi-club ownership models have attracted huge criticism in recent years, however, with both Manchester City and Chelsea involved with French clubs.Ligue 2 side Troyes fall under the City Football Group and have been involved in several odd transfers, such as the one that saw their club-record signing, Savinho, never actually make an appearance for them before joining the Premier League club.Villa’s owners will be most concerned about what has happened under Chelsea’s watch at Strasbourg, however. 💰 Aston Villa Finance Update 💰 Inside the transfer budget, player wages, NSWE investment, and the latest Villa Park stadium expansion news. VISIT THE VILLA FINANCE HUB MORE FOOTBALL INSIDER STORIES Chelsea are an enemy in StrasbourgFootball Insider exclusively revealed in January that Gary O’Neil had been offered the Strasbourg job, a deal that eventually went through just days after Liam Rosenior had been named Chelsea manager.Rosenior had been doing a great job in France, leading his side to a seventh-place finish in Ligue 1 last season and overseeing the development of several young players.
Liam RoseniorStrasbourg (2024-26)Wins32Draws14Losses17Scored109Conceded81Points per game1.75The worst part is that Rosenior has lasted less than four months at Stamford Bridge, while the French club’s promising season lies dead in the water following a run of five defeats in six games under O’Neil.Before BlueCo, Chelsea’s owners, arrived in 2023, Strasbourg were a mid-table Ligue 1 club, with their recent highlight being a sixth-place finish in the 2021-22 season.Crucially, though, they were their own club, had control of their own players, and had hope of naturally progressing.Now, Strasbourg have become a developmental ground for Chelsea, aware that any player showing promise is almost guaranteed a move to the Premier League giants in a cut-price deal.Chelsea and Strasbourg fans held a joint protest over their Blueco ownership ahead of the Blues’ game vs Man Utd at Stamford Bridge this evening. pic.twitter.com/nWMLWCIQKM— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) April 18, 2026 View Tweet Progress will still be made, but for many fans, it feels artificial.Aston Villa must avoid Chelsea effect at FC Annecy The Athletic reports that V Sports is closing in on acquiring a controlling stake in Annecy, with other clubs in Europe also eyed. Villa will surely want to avoid the same effect that has been seen at Strasbourg, although some boundaries must be established to make the deal worth it. ❌🔵 Strasbourg fans today were denied a banner being allowed in the stadium which read: “Chelsea doesn’t decide what’s going on at Strasbourg”Fans were told by security that the word ‘Chelsea’ is not allowed, with sections of the Strasbourg fanbase feeling as though they’re… pic.twitter.com/am45fzWkJP— Lloyd Canfield (@LloydCanfield) February 22, 2026 View Tweet Players will be loaned to the Ligue 2 club, and there may be some movement the other way if a particularly bright talent sprouts.But some level of autonomy is important.
Multi-club ownership appears to be a stain on the game that is here to stay, but Villa can at least go about it in the right way. 🦁 ASTON VILLA INSIDER UPDATE 🦁 Get the inside track on the Villa Park dugout, transfer strategy, player wages, and technical leadership at Bodymoor Heath. Updated 24/7 with expert analysis from Villa Park.