Aston Villa owner Randy Lerner is selling the Cleveland Browns.

Lerner is selling his NFL Cleveland Browns franchise but has told Aston Villa not to expect a massive transfer windfall.

Villa's US chairman Lerner has tightened the purse-strings in recent years after running up an £80million wage bill at the Premier League club.

Lerner, who took control of the Browns in October 2002 after his father Al died, is also now selling a 70 per cent stake in his NFL outfit.

But the Mirror says he still expects Villa to try to turn an operating profit.

He stands to make at least £600m from selling a controlling stake in the Browns to Tennessee businessman Jimmy Haslam.