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Milan Mandaric is interested in taking over at Aston Villa and has already seen an offer knocked back, it can be revealed.

BirminghamLive has been told that the former Portsmouth, Leicester City and Sheffield Wednesday owner registered his interest last month and followed it up soon after with a bid.

It’s our understanding that Tony Xia spurned those advances in the hope of finding another way out of the financial mess that Villa currently find themselves in.

A Mandaric-led consortium wanted control and were prepared to meet Xia’s financial demands.

But they’re yet to make a breakthrough and are now understood to be weighing up the next move.

Mandaric has taken over struggling football clubs in the past, earning him the nickname, Mr Fixit.

At 79 years of age, he’s vastly experienced and is still involved in football as the president of Slovenian outfit Olimpija Ljubljana.

Reasons for the latest rejection are yet to be revealed.

Meanwhile, there has also been plenty of other interest in the club.

As reported exclusively by BirminghamLive earlier this month, a blue-chip American firm saw a £30m bid for 30 per-cent of control knocked back.

These figures also matched Xia’s financial demands and were only submitted after extensive research into what the owner was prepared to sacrifice.

A takeover offer from the same group was also under consideration but never got to that stage due to the initial rejection.

MORE VILLA NEWS

James Chester sat down for a chat with AVTV during Aston Villa's pre-season training camp out in Portugal this week.

The Villans have been working hard as they prepare for the new season which kicks off in less than a month's time, and there's a determination to bounce back from the disappointment of last season's near miss in the play-off final.

Below is everything Welsh international Chester said on pre-season, the new campaign, the mood in the dressing room and the aim for next term.

ON THE SUMMER / WEDDING

“It was really good. It was probably good timing to get over the defeat to Fulham. I had no choice but to enjoy myself or I could have been getting divorced really quickly!

“It was a really good day, and the summer and the honeymoon that followed have been great.

“It was the first time I’d been to Italy properly. We did a couple of destinations so it was really enjoyable.”

REFLECTING ON LAST SEASON

“You look at Cardiff, perhaps - we missed the boat there and could have finished in the top two.

“To take it down to one game and for it all to be on the line...to lose was really disappointing.

“I think the biggest disappointment was the because of the squad and the group of lads we were beginning to build.

“Unfortunately a few of them aren’t here anymore.”

LOSING FEELING

“In club football with everything that’s at stake - not reaching the Premier League is a major disappointment.

“It’s something we’ve been trying to do at the club for two years and it’s somewhere I think the club deserves to be.”

STILL THE SAME FIGHT?

“It’s inevitable, with the history that this club has, it deserves to be at the top, regardless of what’s happening at the moment.

“We’re professionals, you owe it to yourselves and your teammates, and to the supporters of the club, to do your best.”

WHAT HAVE YOU MADE OF THE SUMMER?

“There’s the disappointment of losing the group of lads and the togetherness we were starting to get in the changing room.

“It perhaps something the club had not had for a while and the togetherness and the relationship with the fans I think started to come along last season.

“You could see a real bond.”

IMPORTANCE OF STABILITY

“The gaffer has been around for a long time and he’ll have been in situations similar.

“His experience will be vital to everyone at the club. I think all of us, players and staff, are delighted to see Hutts extend his contract.”

MESSAGE TO THE FANS

“My message to the fans is to try and stay positive. They’re the most loyal people involved with the club and they will be there through thick and thin.

“In my time at the club they’ve been a credit to themselves. They travel in great numbers.

“Hopefully they’ll continue to do that. We’ve not achieved our goal yet and we’ll carry on trying.”

HOW TOUGH HAS PRE-SEASON BEEN?

“This one was harder than ever, with the wedding and the honeymoon!

“It’s the first summer in four or five years where I’ve had four or five weeks off. I probably took advantage more than I should have done!

“It’s certainly been difficult but we’ve come back in a good place and been able to push forwards the past four or five days.”

WHERE WOULD YOU RANK LAST SEASON?

“I think my time at Villa is difficult, to assess myself on a personal level. The amount of games and the way I’ve performed have been really pleasing and I’ve loved every moment of that.

“But we all signed for the club hoping to get back to the Premier League.

“It’s a difficult one to assess because I feel it has gone well personally but then there’s the disappointment because we haven’t quite achieved our goal yet.”

TARGETS FOR NEXT YEAR?

“Just to keep going. Consistency in football is a major key. You can’t let things slide and your standards drop.

“For me, growing up as a youth player with players who had been at a club a long time and playing a lot of games were people I looked up to.

“That’s something I’d like to do with my career - spend time at clubs and play a lot of games. Hopefully that will continue.”

OVERALL THOUGHTS ON SEASON AHEAD

“It’s nice to be back, getting yourself fit and getting the pre-season games underway.

“Then we’ll see where the new season takes us.”