Sounders minority owner Paul Allen linked to Aston Villa purchase

It is just a couple paragraphs in a Daily Mail notes column. Formerly good, currently bad-but-not-awful Aston Villa is possibly for sale and the latest rumored purchaser is Seattle Sounders FC minority owner Paul Allen.

Nevertheless, there is speculation billionaire Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, the richest owner in the NFL whose Seattle Seahawks have reached back-to-back Superbowls, could be interested in buying Villa.

Allen, who was in talks to buy Southampton in 2007, part-owns MLS side Seattle Sounders. Villa are sceptical about any bid but a source involved with Allen's investment vehicle Vulcan said: ‘This is Americans talking to Americans.'

7500 to Holte goes into many of the reasons not to believe the rumor of the Microsoft monied man to be getting involved in Villa.

Here's another - he's shown no interest in soccer. Sure, this could just be an investment for him, but if you look at the types of entertainment based purchases Allen makes they tend towards his passions - EMP with its attached sci-fi wing, Cinerama, fighter jets, mega yachts, Seahawks, Trailblazers, his vanity band.

Sure, he's the minority owner of the Sounders, but he didn't outlay cash. That ownership stake came from a very Sounders-friendly lease and the use of the Seahawks' business assets for 7-8 years. If Allen is at Sounders games he does so quietly (unlike Seahawks and Blazers games). A senior Vulcan rep takes his place at ownership meetings. He is a silent partner, which is fine.

If his interest in Villa is real (it probably is not) then maybe he can look into some ways to help the soccer team he currently owns make some more money. Things like higher quality turf, greater signage for Sounders at the CLink, a regional TV deal that gets live games on Washington's secondary markets, pulling some weight with local corporate partners, using his presence to get the Sounders international press. He could buy another name brand player to put them in Rave Green.

There are things Allen could do with his current club if he is interested in expanding his profits through soccer. He doesn't need to buy Villa. He also doesn't need to listen to me.