Aston Villa co-owner Nassef Sawiris has outlined the partnership that his team is finalising with Japanese club Vissel Kobe.

The two clubs have announced they will be connected for the long-term in a collaborative partnership.

Kobe is the third team to have such a deal with Villa, along with Portuguese side Vitoria Sport Clube and Egyptian side ZED FC.

Sawiris stated in a video: “We are delighted to announce a new partnership with the prestigious Japanese football club Vissel Kobe. I want to thank my friend Hiroshi Mikitani (the club owner) and the president of Vissel Kobe Mr Yuki Chifu for this opportunity.

“The partnership will benefit both Vissel Kobe and Aston Villa in many ways; The clubs will work together and share knowledge in key areas such as performance, scouting and recruitment, data analysis, first team squad management, commercial and brand awareness.

“Aston Villa will also assist with the development of elite academy players at Vissel Kobe and the development of Vissel Kobe's youth development coaching staff, will help create pathways for Vissel Kobe players to play in Europe, and ultimately, hopefully, Aston Villa. An Aston Villa academy team will be traveling to play an international tournament in Japan in 2024 - a fantastic opportunity for the Villa boys to travel to a new country and play football in a new environment.

“Vissel Kobe's academy teams will be invited to play in tournaments here at Villa Park and also in Egypt at our partner club ZED FC. We look forward to welcoming senior members of the Vissel Kobe management team to Villa later this month, and at the same time we are delighted to be hosting two of Vissel Kobe's most talented under-16 players for a week of training at Bodymoor Heath in Birmingham.

“I'm sure this will be a hugely successful partnership and we look forward to working closely with our friends in Kobe over the coming years. Good luck to Vissel Kobe for your remaining games of the season and your efforts to win the league title."