Aston Villa: Christian Purslow to step down as chief executive

Christian Purslow (left) oversaw Unai Emery's appointment as Aston Villa's new manager in October 2022

Aston Villa have announced Christian Purslow is to step down from his position as chief executive and director of the club.

Purslow, 59, was appointed in 2018 following commercial successes at both Liverpool and Chelsea.

Villa suffered financial issues after losing the 2017-18 play-off final to Fulham, including an unpaid tax bill.

Purslow said it had been a "total privilege" to lead Villa for the last five years.

In a statement, he added: "I am proud that I leave the club in a much better position on and off the pitch than when I arrived.

"We are re-established in the Premier League - we now have a very competitive professional women's team, we have outstanding academies for boys and girls.

"We have created a world-class training ground and secured planning permission for an expansion and modernisation of our wonderful stadium.

"Thank you to everyone at Villa and our supporters who have made my time here so enjoyable."

Purslow was appointed shortly after Aston Villa owners Wes Edens and Nassef Sawiris took control of the club. They said Purslow had "delivered the ambitious turnaround plan" he presented to the club five years ago.

"We are grateful for all he has done," the two businessmen added.

In May, Barcelona's director of football Mateu Alemany decided against joining Aston Villa, announcing he would stay at the Nou Camp instead.

And the club have been linked with a move for Sevilla's sporting director Monchi, who has previously worked with Emery.

Villa finished the 2022-23 Premier League season seventh in the table and secured a spot in the play-offs for the Europa Conference League.

Analysis - 'Purslow's time at Villa a success'

Simon Stone, BBC Sport

The seeds of this decision came in Villa's appointment of Unai Emery in October 2022.

Emery has a close relationship with co-owner Nassef Sawiris and there is a restructure proposed behind the scenes, in which a new head of commercial and revenue will be joined by a sporting director with beefed up powers, with the club targeting Sevilla's Monchi.

They will both report directly to the ownership, effectively stripping away a lot of Purslow's power.

It is not a move Purslow wanted but it is thought he didn't feel comfortable working in the new structure.

Purslow's time at Villa has to be regarded as a success. Evidently, the club has made rapid progress on the pitch.

Promotion from the Championship and securing a return to European football will be the high points of his time at the club.

Off the pitch the 59-year-old has tried to communicate regularly with the fans and it is thought he was uneasy about the massive hike in season-ticket prices Villa announced in April.

He was a central figure around the plans for stadium redevelopment at Villa Park, although that will continue. He has also been a vocal presence at the Premier League table and has not been afraid to speak out against the dominance of the 'big six', notably with regard to the European Super League, which he described as "grotesque".

As someone who has previous experience at Liverpool and Chelsea, Purslow's CV is bound to be interesting to other clubs.