Aston Villa owners Wes Edens and Nassef Sawiris want to complete a blockbuster takeover deal – and Douglas Luiz could be central to their efforts.

Villa are the mothership in Edens and Sawiris’ V Sports multi-club group, which also encompasses Portuguese side Vitoria as well as partnerships with Japanese outfit Vissel Kobe among others.

They have long been keen to expand into a new market and Luiz‘s old club Vasco da Gama could now provide the perfect opportunity.

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Edens and Sawiris want Vasco da Gama takeover

According to Brazilian media, Edens and Sawiris are exploring the possibility of taking over historic Brazilian first division side Vasco da Gama.

The opportunity has arisen as 777 Partners, the group embroiled in a doomed effort to take over Everton, has been ousted by the Brazilian courts.

The Miami-based group bought 70 per cent of the club in 2022 in a deal that valued Vasco at £261m. Edens and Sawiris would have to part with a similar sum to get a deal over the line.

That would comfortably eclipse the £30m the pair paid to buy Villa in 2018, although the club was saddled with debt at that time.

Edens and Sawiris are believed to be one of three parties in negotiations to buy Vasco, who are four-time Brazilian champions and one of the country’s so-called ‘Big 12’ clubs.

Football finance analysis: Luiz could be key to Vasco partnership

Luiz, who was one of Villa’s standout performers as they qualified for the Champions League in 2023-24, began his career at Vasco.

He played 29 times in total for the club between 2016 and 2017.

One of several reasons Edens and Sawiris are pursuing a multi-club model with outposts outside of Europe is to enter new commercial markets.

And Luiz could provide the perfect opportunity for V Sports to resonate with the club post-takeover.

The 26-year-old would likely take part in collaborative marketing activities and could play a prominent role if Edens and Sawiris took Villa to Brazil on a lucrative pre-season tour, for example.