Overview
Click any KPI, bubble, slice or bar to jump to the evidence.
Risk findings
15
4 high · 8 medium · 3 low
Principal partner
US-only
Rwanda MoD and army on the OFAC list (F1)
Related-party gains
£113.6m
vs £17.0m reported profit (F2)
Sanctions screened
62 · 0
counterparties · confirmed matches
UK companies traced
8
4 of 6 directors are US nationals
Risk matrix: likelihood × impact
Analyst scoring, indicative. Hover for detail, click a bubble to open the finding.
Findings by category
Click a slice to filter the findings list.
Money linked to each finding (£m)
Reported or disclosed amounts only. Click a bar to open the finding. Visit Rwanda is a ceiling (up to £20m a year); F11 is the combined Chelsea deal value.
Risk findings
Filter by severity or category, search, sort, and expand each card for evidence and sources.
- Visit Rwanda became Principal Partner, Official Tourism Partner and Official Coffee Provider on 14 Jul 2026. Reported value: up to £20m a year with bonuses.
- The US sanctioned the Rwanda Defence Force on 2 Mar 2026, then Rwanda's Ministry of Defence and Zigama Credit and Savings Society on 28 Oct 2026.
- Visit Rwanda, RDB and RCB are on none of the four lists screened (12 Nov 2026). The Rwanda designations are US-only, and 4 of Villa's 6 directors are US nationals.
Reliability
A/B
Risk score
15 / 25
Next check: Confirm the contracting and paying entity and the paying bank. Check whether the contract has sanctions and termination clauses.
- June 2025: the club sold Aston Villa Women's FC Ltd (£77.6m profit) and The Warehouse operating rights (£36.0m profit) to NSWE Holdings Ltd, a sister company.
- Without those gains, FY2025 profit after tax of £17.0m becomes roughly −£96.6m (simple subtraction, ignores tax).
- Both sales are still subject to the Premier League's fair-market-value review and include price-adjustment clauses. The league closed this route for future deals in Nov 2025.
Reliability
A
Risk score
20 / 25
Next check: Has the Premier League ruled on fair value? Could the accounts be restated?
- June 2026: €22.5m (£19.4m) fine, of which €15m (£12.9m) is suspended pending compliance over three years.
- This follows a first fine in July 2025 (£9.5m in total).
- Another breach inside the window could trigger the suspended amount.
Reliability
A
Risk score
12 / 25
Next check: What are the settlement terms? How much 2026-27 squad-cost headroom is there? Do Champions League squad restrictions apply?
- adidas has made Villa's kits since 2024-25. Birmingham Mail reported in 2024 that Nassef Sawiris owns about 7% of adidas.
- That raises the question of how the deal is treated under the Premier League's associated-party rules.
Reliability
B
Risk score
6 / 25
Next check: Confirm the current holding from adidas voting-rights notices. Was the deal reviewed under the associated-party rules?
Sources: Birmingham Mail, May 2024
- Betano (Kaizen Gaming) moved from shirt front to sleeve, extended to 2028-29 at a reported ~£4m a season.
- Brazil, Kaizen's biggest market, imposed a temporary betting ban on 25 Sep 2026. Allwyn (36.75% owner) says Betano is preparing legal action.
- Background: the 2023 BK8 shirt deal drew criticism from the Supporters' Trust.
Reliability
A/B
Risk score
9 / 25
Next check: Check Kaizen's UK Gambling Commission licence status. List any other betting or crypto partners.
- In 2023 UEFA forced V Sports to cut its Vitória SC stake to 29% and imposed separation measures between the clubs.
- In Nov 2026 Vitória members voted to transfer 17% back, restoring 46%. V Sports also entered FC Annecy in 2026.
- This summer Villa loaned three academy players to Vitória and Annecy.
Reliability
B
Risk score
8 / 25
Next check: Map V Sports stakes and board seats. Price the player loans and transfers inside the group.
- 7 Jul 2026 filing: Sawiris and Edens ceased to be persons with significant control (PSC) of NSWE UK Ltd. The club says shareholdings are unchanged and both remain directors.
Reliability
A/B
Risk score
2 / 25
Next check: See F14 for the analysis.
Sources: Birmingham Mail · Companies House
- Monchi left as President of Football Operations in Sep 2025 and became an adviser to V Sports. Roberto Olabe replaced him.
- Francesco Calvo is President of Business Operations and led the Visit Rwanda deal.
Reliability
A
Risk score
4 / 25
Next check: Profile the new executives. Background checks on individuals need a UK GDPR lawful basis.
Sources: Premier League directory · Sky Sports
- 8Xbet became the club's official betting partner in Asia in Aug 2026. It holds a Curaçao licence and is not available to UK customers, but its branding appears at Villa Park.
- The UK government is consulting on banning sponsorships by operators that the Gambling Commission does not license.
- The brand moved from 978 Tech N.V. (Curaçao) to Aplus Limited (Marshall Islands) for $1 at the end of 2024. The real owner is unknown, so the OFAC 50% rule cannot be tested. Josimar's allegations of links to scam compounds are unproven, so do not repeat them as fact.
Reliability
B/C
Risk score
16 / 25
Next check: Ask for the KYC file on the contracting entity. Is there an exit clause if UK law changes?
- £38.4m was paid to agents from Feb 2025 to Feb 2026. Only Chelsea paid more, and Villa's rise of £13.4m was the largest of any club.
- Spending on incoming transfers in the same period was only about £69m. The club points to contract renegotiations and new registrations.
Reliability
A/B
Risk score
6 / 25
Next check: Which agencies were paid? The FA publishes club totals only. Do any agents overlap with V Sports clubs?
Sources: GOAL (FA data) · The FA
- Villa sold Morgan Rogers (£117m) and Emiliano Martínez (£7.5m) to Chelsea and bought Nicolas Jackson (£47.5m) from Chelsea.
- Reports say Villa raised Jackson during the Rogers talks. Linked deals are a known focus for fair-value checks.
Reliability
B
Risk score
6 / 25
Next check: Were these separate contracts? Are there sell-on or buy-back clauses?
- The North Stand is closed for all of 2026-27 and is due to reopen in August 2027.
- The previous lead contractor, Buckingham Group, became insolvent. J&D Pierce now does the steelwork and CAA ICON is project manager.
- In Nov 2026 the club won permission to extend construction hours to 10pm.
Reliability
B
Risk score
9 / 25
Next check: Check the financial health of the current contractors. Is there bond cover? What penalties apply if August 2027 is missed?
- Al-Hilal paid about £50m for Ollie Watkins (30 Aug 2026). On 1 Sep 2026 PIF completed the sale of 70% of Al-Hilal to Kingdom Holding (Prince Alwaleed bin Talal).
- All parties screened clear. Because they are state- and royal-linked (PEP), routine enhanced due diligence applies.
Reliability
A
Risk score
2 / 25
Next check: Which entity signed and paid? Is the fee paid in instalments?
- Since 7 Jul 2026, NSWE UK Ltd has declared that no person or entity holds more than 25%.
- Before that: Edens 25–50%, and Sawiris 25–50% via control over the trustees of a trust. The club says holdings are unchanged. At face value those two statements are hard to reconcile. This is a question, not an allegation.
Reliability
A + inference
Risk score
9 / 25
Next check: Ask for the current share register and the V Sports structure chart. Who are the ultimate beneficial owners?
Sources: Companies House – NSWE UK PSC · Birmingham Mail
- 2019: Villa Park was sold for £56.7m to owner-controlled NSWE Stadium Ltd and leased back. The Premier League approved it in 2020.
- 28 Jul 2026: NSWE Stadium Ltd moved under the new NSWE Stadium Holdings Ltd, which is owned by Aston Villa FC Ltd. The stadium is back inside the club group, in the middle of the £100m rebuild.
Reliability
A/B
Risk score
6 / 25
Next check: What did the club pay or credit for it? Was it reviewed as an associated-party transaction? Who carries the capex and any debt?
No findings match these filters.
Timeline 2018 → 2026
Every dot is a public event, placed in a swim lane. Click a legend item to hide that severity, click a dot to open its finding, and drag across the chart to zoom.
| Date | Lane | Severity | Event | Finding | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-11-11 | Transfers & stadium | Medium | Construction hours extended to 10pm — Schedule pressure on Aug 2027. | source | |
| 2026-11-04 | Ownership | Medium | Vitória vote restores V Sports to 46% | source | |
| 2026-10-28 | Sanctions & geopolitics | High | US sanctions Rwanda MoD and Zigama — E.O. 13413. | source | |
| 2026-09-25 | Sponsors & gambling | Medium | Brazil imposes temporary betting ban — Hits Betano's biggest market. | source | |
| 2026-09-01 | Transfers & stadium | Medium | Window closes: Rogers £117m to Chelsea, Jackson in | source | |
| 2026-09-01 | Sanctions & geopolitics | Low | PIF sells 70% of Al-Hilal to Kingdom Holding | source | |
| 2026-08-31 | Sponsors & gambling | High | 8Xbet named Asian betting partner — No UK licence. | source | |
| 2026-08-30 | Transfers & stadium | Low | Watkins sold to Al-Hilal for ~£50m | source | |
| 2026-07-28 | Ownership | Medium | Stadium company moved under the club — Back inside the club group. | source | |
| 2026-07-14 | Sponsors & gambling | High | Visit Rwanda named principal partner — Up to £20m a year (reported). | source | |
| 2026-07-07 | Ownership | Medium | Owners cease as PSCs: "no registrable person" — Club: administrative. | source | |
| 2026-07-02 | Ownership | Medium | NSWE Stadium Holdings incorporated | source | |
| 2026-06-30 | Financial & regulatory | High | UEFA fine €22.5m (€15m suspended) — Second year in a row. | source | |
| 2026-04-21 | Transfers & stadium | Medium | North Stand closed for 2026-27 — £100m rebuild accelerated. | source | |
| 2026-04-01 | Transfers & stadium | Medium | FA data: £38.4m agent fees — 2nd in the Premier League. | source | |
| 2026-03-02 | Sanctions & geopolitics | High | US sanctions Rwanda Defence Force — Plus four commanders. | source | |
| 2025-11-21 | Financial & regulatory | Info | Premier League closes asset-sale route — Associated-party asset sales no longer count. | source | |
| 2025-07-04 | Financial & regulatory | Medium | First UEFA squad-cost fine — £9.5m in total. | source | |
| 2025-06-30 | Financial & regulatory | High | Women's team + Warehouse sold to NSWE Holdings — £113.6m profit on disposal. | source | |
| 2025-04-22 | Ownership | Info | NSWE Holdings Ltd incorporated — Later buys the women's team and Warehouse. | source | |
| 2024-04-12 | Ownership | Info | Atairos takes minority stake — 4 new directors appointed (Angelakis, Hall, Lebada, Watterson). | — | source |
| 2023-07-07 | Ownership | Medium | UEFA forces Vitória stake cut to 29% — Multi-club separation measures. | source | |
| 2023-06-22 | Sponsors & gambling | Medium | BK8 shirt deal criticised — Supporters' Trust calls it cynical. | source | |
| 2020-03-04 | Financial & regulatory | Info | Premier League approves stadium sale | source | |
| 2019-05-16 | Financial & regulatory | Medium | Villa Park sold to owners for £56.7m — Sold to NSWE Stadium Ltd and leased back. | source | |
| 2018-07-20 | Ownership | Info | Sawiris and Edens take control — PSC records for NSWE UK show both from Jul 2018. | — | source |
Relationship map
A preview of the Phase 2 "connected view". Click a node to highlight its links and show its details. Filter to the risk-flagged parties.
Select a node
Click any box on the map. Red = high, amber = medium, blue = low, purple = owners. Dashed lines = indirect links.
Financials
The club's reported numbers, and what they look like without related-party gains.
Revenue vs profit after tax (£m)
FY2025: reported profit → underlying (£m)
Removing the two disposals to NSWE Holdings (F2). Simple arithmetic, ignores tax. Source: Birmingham Mail (statutory accounts)
Related-party deals with owner companies (£m)
Asset moves between the club and owner-controlled companies (F2, F15). Click a bar for the finding.
Transfers & agents
Summer 2026 window: about £568m moved through Villa. Hover over a flow to see the deal.
Money flows: summer 2026 (£m, reported fees)
Left: clubs Villa bought from. Right: clubs Villa sold to. Chelsea appears on both sides (F11). Source: Birmingham Mail
Top 5 sales vs top 5 buys (£m)
Green = sold, purple = bought. Hover for the counterparty and flag.
Agent fees, Feb 2025 – Feb 2026 (£m)
FA data via GOAL. Toggle between total paid and year-on-year change.
Ownership chain & OFAC 50% rule
Companies House records pulled 12 Nov 2026. Click any company to see its PSC history.
UK companies traced
8
US-national directors
4 / 6
Caught by 50% rule
0
Chains that can't be cleared
2
8Xbet · V Sports above UK
▼ 75%+
▼ 75%+
▼ 75%+
▼ 75%+ since 28 Jul 2026
▼ 75%+
◀ NSWE UK Ltd also owns
▼ 75%+ since 15 Oct 2025
Same 6 directors on all 8 companies
Michael Angelakis · USWesley Edens · USChester Hall · USSarah Watterson · USBashir Lebada · CA, res. EgyptNassef Sawiris · BE, res. Italy
Source: Companies House officer records (12 Nov 2026)
OFAC 50% rule, partner by partner
An entity counts as blocked if blocked persons own 50% or more of it, even when it isn't listed itself. So we traced each partner's owners and screened them too.
Aston Villa groupNot caught
Club ← Aston Villa Ltd ← NSWE Sports ← NSWE UK ← (Edens, Sawiris trust, Atairos, V Sports)
Owners screened All clear (4 lists)
Owners above NSWE UK are not on the UK register (F14). Four US-national directors are personally subject to US sanctions law.
Visit Rwanda / RDBNot caught
Government agency under the Office of the President
Owners screened RDB, RCB, Office of the President and CEOs all clear
OFAC lists specific bodies (MoD, RDF, Zigama), not the whole government. The risk is payment routing, because Zigama is a bank.
8XbetCannot clear
978 Tech N.V. (Curaçao) → Aplus Ltd (Marshall Is.) for $1, end-2024; same signatory on both sides (reported)
Owners screened Named parties clear; Aplus ≈ APUS (Russia) is a false positive
Real owner unknown, so the 50% rule cannot be tested.
Betano / KaizenNot caught
Allwyn 36.75%; rest held by founders and management (not verified)
Owners screened Kaizen, Allwyn, KKCG, Daskalakis, Komárek clear
Low. The issue is regulatory, not sanctions.
Al-HilalNot caught
Kingdom Holding 70% · PIF 30% (since 1 Sep 2026)
Owners screened Clear
PEP / state-linked: enhanced due diligence.
Sanctions list screening
62 counterparties and 93 name variants, checked against 4 official lists downloaded on 12 Nov 2026. Four known-sanctioned control names were added to prove the method works.
Counterparties
62
+ 4 control names
Confirmed matches
0
Near matches cleared
4
V Sports, Al-Hilal, Arsenal, Aplus
Controls caught
4 / 4
RDF, Rwanda MoD, Zigama, Kabarebe
Designations per list
OFAC SDN 12 Nov · UK FCDO 10 Nov · EU FSF 23 Oct · UN 12 Nov 2026
Screening outcomes (62 counterparties)
Click a slice to filter the table below.
Key insight: the Rwanda exposure is US-only
The Rwanda Defence Force, the Ministry of Defence and Zigama appear only on the US OFAC list. The UK, EU and UN lists carry only the armed groups (M23, FDLR). So for a UK club, the legal exposure comes through US persons and US dollars, and four of Villa's six directors are US nationals.
| Counterparty | Type | OFAC | UK | EU | UN | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nassef Sawiris Owner / Director | person | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Clear |
| Wes Edens Owner / Director | person | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Clear |
| Michael Angelakis Director (Atairos) | person | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Clear |
| Chester Hall Director | person | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Clear |
| Sarah Watterson Director | person | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Clear |
| Bashir Lebada Director | person | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Clear |
| Roberto Olabe Executive | person | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Clear |
| Francesco Calvo Executive | person | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Clear |
| Damian Vidagany Executive | person | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Clear |
| Unai Emery Head coach | person | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Clear |
| Richard Cackett CFO | person | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Clear |
| Victoria Wilkes General Counsel | person | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Clear |
| Adrian Filby CCO | person | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Clear |
| Ramon Rodriguez Verdejo (Monchi) Former exec / V Sports adviser | person | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Clear |
| Ali Barat Agent | person | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Clear |
| Janet Karemera CEO, Rwanda Convention Bureau | person | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Clear · PEP/State EDD |
| Alwaleed bin Talal Kingdom Holding (Al-Hilal buyer) | person | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Clear · PEP/State EDD |
| Aston Villa Football Club Club | entity | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Clear |
| NSWE UK Limited / NSWE Holding Parent | entity | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Clear |
| V Sports Parent | entity | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Near match cleared Nearest: BEST SPORT COMPANY B.V (OFAC SDN, ILLICIT-DRUGS-EO14059) |
| Atairos Minority investor | entity | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Clear |
| Rwanda Development Board Principal partner (Visit Rwanda) | entity | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Clear · PEP/State EDD |
| Rwanda Convention Bureau Principal partner (Visit Rwanda) | entity | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Clear · PEP/State EDD |
| Visit Rwanda Principal partner | entity | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Clear · PEP/State EDD |
| Kaizen Gaming (Betano) Sleeve partner | entity | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Clear |
| Allwyn Kaizen shareholder | entity | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Clear |
| adidas Kit supplier | entity | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Clear |
| 8Xbet Asia betting partner | entity | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Clear |
| BK8 Former shirt sponsor | entity | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Clear |
| NordVPN / Nord Security Commercial partner | entity | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Clear |
| Vitoria Sport Clube Sister club | entity | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Clear |
| FC Annecy Sister club | entity | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Clear |
| Chelsea FC Transfer counterparty | entity | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Clear |
| Al-Hilal Transfer counterparty | entity | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | Near match cleared Nearest: HILAL TRAVEL AGENCY (OFAC SDN, SDGT); YAYASAN HILAL AHMAR (OFAC SDN, SDGT) |
| Kingdom Holding Company Al-Hilal owner | entity | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Clear · PEP/State EDD |
| Public Investment Fund (Saudi) Al-Hilal 30% | entity | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Clear · PEP/State EDD |
| Arsenal FC Transfer counterparty | entity | 15 | 1 | 2 | 0 | Near match cleared Nearest: LLC ARSENAL (OFAC SDN, RUSSIA-EO14024); LTD NTC ARSENAL (OFAC SDN, RUSSIA-EO14024) |
| Manchester United Transfer counterparty | entity | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Clear |
| AS Roma Transfer counterparty | entity | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Clear |
| SC Freiburg Transfer counterparty | entity | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Clear |
| Buckingham Group Former stadium contractor | entity | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Clear |
| J&D Pierce Stadium contractor | entity | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Clear |
| CAA ICON Stadium project manager | entity | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Clear |
| Grimshaw Architect | entity | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Clear |
| Rwanda Defence Force CONTROL (known sanctioned) | entity | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Control hit Nearest: RWANDA DEFENCE FORCE (OFAC SDN, DRCONGO) |
| Ministry of Defence of Rwanda CONTROL (known sanctioned) | entity | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Control hit Nearest: MINISTRY OF DEFENCE OF THE REPUBLIC OF RWANDA (OFAC SDN, DRCONGO) |
| Zigama Credit and Savings Society CONTROL (known sanctioned) | entity | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Control hit Nearest: ZIGAMA CREDIT AND SAVINGS SOCIETY (OFAC SDN, DRCONGO) |
| James Kabarebe CONTROL (known sanctioned) | person | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Control hit Nearest: James KABAREBE (OFAC SDN, DRCONGO) |
| Bjorn Schuurmans v0.4 Company secretary | person | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Clear |
| Sarah Louise Watterson v0.4 Director | person | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Clear |
| Chester Crosby Hall v0.4 Director | person | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Clear |
| Marc Zahr v0.4 Director, AV Women's FC | person | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Clear |
| Jiantong Xia (Tony Xia) v0.4 Former PSC (to 2018) | person | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Clear |
| Jean-Guy Afrika v0.4 CEO, Rwanda Development Board | person | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Clear · PEP/State EDD |
| Ryan Li v0.4 Signatory, 8Xbet brand transfer | person | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Clear |
| Duc Tam Tran v0.4 Linked to 8Xbet brand dispute | person | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Clear |
| George Daskalakis v0.4 Kaizen co-founder | person | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Clear |
| Karel Komarek v0.4 Allwyn / KKCG owner | person | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Clear |
| 978 Tech N.V. v0.4 Former 8Xbet operator (Curacao) | entity | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Clear |
| Aplus Limited v0.4 8Xbet brand owner (Marshall Is.) | entity | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | Near match cleared Nearest: APUS (UK Sanctions List, The Russia (Sanctions) (EU E); APUS (UK Sanctions List, The Russia (Sanctions) (EU E) |
| TGP Europe v0.4 Former UK white-label | entity | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Clear |
| TCM Technology LLC v0.4 8Xbet brand dispute | entity | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Clear |
| KKCG v0.4 Allwyn parent | entity | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Clear |
| NSWE Sports / Stadium / Holdings v0.4 Group companies | entity | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Clear |
| Office of the President of Rwanda v0.4 Supervises RDB | entity | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Clear · PEP/State EDD |
| Bank of Kigali v0.4 Possible payment bank (to verify) | entity | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Clear |
Method: names normalised (accents, punctuation and legal suffixes removed). Every query word must fuzzy-match a listed word (≥0.88 similarity), across primary names and aliases. Limits: name-only, with no date-of-birth or nationality matching, no PEP or World-Check database, and UK-level ownership tracing only. "Clear" means not on these four lists on this date. It does not clear the person or entity.
Counterparty register
Search, filter by flag level, or click a column header to sort.
| Counterparty | Role | Jurisdiction | Issue (public) | Sanctions | Findings | Flag |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nassef Sawiris | Co-owner · Chairman · Director | Belgian · res. Italy | ~7% of adidas (reported); PSC ceased Jul 2026 | Clear | Medium | |
| Wes Edens | Co-owner · Director | US | PSC ceased Jul 2026 | Clear | Medium | |
| Michael Angelakis (Atairos) | Director · minority investor | US | — | Clear | — | None |
| Chester Hall | Director | US | — | Clear | — | None |
| Sarah Watterson | Director | US | — | Clear | — | None |
| Bashir Lebada | Director | Canadian · res. Egypt | — | Clear | — | None |
| Roberto Olabe | President, Football Ops | Spain | New in role (Sep 2025) | Clear | Low | |
| Francesco Calvo | President, Business Ops | Italy | Led the Visit Rwanda deal | Clear | Low | |
| NSWE UK Ltd / V Sports | Parent (100%) | UK / non-UK | "No registrable person" since Jul 2026 | Clear | Medium | |
| NSWE Holdings Ltd | Sister company | UK | Bought the Women's FC and Warehouse | Clear | High | |
| NSWE Stadium Ltd | Villa Park owner | UK | Sold 2019, back in club 2026 | Clear | Medium | |
| Visit Rwanda (RDB / RCB) | Principal partner | Rwanda (government) | State's MoD and army on OFAC list | Clear · state EDD | High | |
| 8Xbet / Aplus Ltd | Asia betting partner | Curaçao / Marshall Is. | No UK licence; opaque owner | Clear (owner unknown) | High | |
| Betano / Kaizen Gaming | Sleeve partner | Greece / multi | Brazil betting ban | Clear | Medium | |
| adidas AG | Kit supplier | Germany | Chairman-linked | Clear | Medium | |
| Vitória SC | Sister club 29%→46% | Portugal | UEFA multi-club history | Clear | Medium | |
| FC Annecy | Sister club | France | Loans from Villa | Clear | Medium | |
| Chelsea FC | Buyer and seller | UK | Two-way deals | Clear | Medium | |
| Al-Hilal / Kingdom Holding / PIF | Buyer (Watkins) | Saudi Arabia | State- and royal-linked | Clear · PEP EDD | Low | |
| Arsenal · Man United · Roma · Freiburg | Transfer counterparties | UK / IT / DE | — | Clear (Arsenal near match cleared) | — | None |
| Ali Barat | Agent (N. Jackson) | — | — | Clear | Medium | |
| Buckingham Group | Former lead contractor | UK | Insolvent | Clear | Medium | |
| J&D Pierce · CAA ICON · Grimshaw | Stadium contractors | UK / US | — | Clear | Medium | |
| NordVPN / Nord Security | Commercial partner | To verify | Criticism of VPN sponsors | Clear | — | Low |
| BK8 (former) | Former shirt sponsor | Asia | 2023 marketing controversy | Clear | Medium |
Top 100 suppliers: the club doesn't publish a supplier list, so public data only reaches the big partners and contractors. Full coverage needs the client's procurement list, which is the natural hand-off to Phase 2.
Talk track (for the sales team)
Click a question to see why it lands and the Phase 2 hook. Use Copy to paste it into your notes.
"Before this meeting we screened 62 of your counterparties against four official sanctions lists and traced your UK ownership chain, using only public sources. Nothing was confirmed, but six points deserve a closer look."
F1"Your principal partner's government has its army and defence ministry on the US sanctions list, and four of your six directors are US nationals. How are partner payments screened?"
Why it lands
The legal exposure is real, and it runs through the club's own board, not just reputation.
Phase 2 hook
Continuous monitoring of every partner's payment chain against new designations.
F2"£113.6m of last year's profit came from selling assets to a sister company, and the Premier League is still reviewing the price. Have you modelled an adjustment?"
Why it lands
It is from their own statutory accounts, so it is impossible to dismiss.
Phase 2 hook
A related-party transaction register, updated automatically.
F3"With €15m of UEFA fines suspended, how much squad-cost headroom do you have this season?"
Why it lands
Every board is watching this one.
Phase 2 hook
A squad-cost watch that links transfers to the ratio.
F9"Who is the real owner behind 8Xbet's contracting entity, and what happens to the deal if the UK bans unlicensed sponsors?"
Why it lands
Gives the club a reason to act before the government does.
Phase 2 hook
Sponsor KYC and regulatory-change alerts.
F14"NSWE UK now declares no registrable person above 25%. Who are the ultimate beneficial owners today?"
Why it lands
A precise question from public filings shows depth without accusing anyone.
Phase 2 hook
Ownership-chain monitoring across Companies House.
F15"The stadium company came back inside the club in July. Was that reviewed as an associated-party transaction?"
Why it lands
Links ownership, finance and the £100m rebuild in one question.
Phase 2 hook
A connected view (Phase 2 ontology) of the group's related parties.
Positioning
- "We take 60% of the set-up work off your team: a first draft from what's already public, overnight."
- Then: "With your real counterparty list, we keep this updated continuously."
- Talk about outcomes, not how the technology works.
Do not say
- Anything that implies a named person did something wrong.
- That Visit Rwanda or any partner is "sanctioned". None is.
- The 8Xbet allegations as fact, or unverified social media claims.
Method & gaps
How far public data reaches against the client's target list (analyst estimate).
Coverage by target group
The 3 manual steps in the current process
1 · Read the news, list counterparties Done
Club, Premier League, accounts, sponsors, transfers, FA agent data, contractors
2 · Find where they are Partly
Companies House nationality and residence; no LinkedIn
3 · Match risk databases and location risk Done (sanctions)
OFAC, UK, EU, UN plus UK ownership tracing. No World-Check or PEP database
Reliability grades
- A: official source (club, Premier League, UEFA, government, Companies House, statutory accounts)
- B: established media (Sky, BBC, Guardian, Birmingham Mail)
- C: fan sites or aggregators. Use only as a lead.
Still open
- Named agent for each deal (the FA only publishes club totals)
- Full top-100 supplier list (needs the client's procurement list)
- PEP database, Companies House disqualifications, World-Check (needs the client's licence)
- V Sports structure above the UK register; Kaizen's other ~63% of shareholders
- Visit Rwanda paying bank; 8Xbet ultimate owner
- Social and forum sentiment (e.g. kit-factory labour complaints)
Version log
- v0.5: fully interactive rebuild: risk matrix, timeline, map, money flows, filters, search
- v0.4: UK ownership chain (8 companies), OFAC 50% rule check, F14 and F15
- v0.3: sanctions screening across 4 lists with 4 control names
- v0.2: transfers, agents, suppliers, F9–F13
- v0.1: first pass, F1–F8