A group of Aston Villa-supporting businessmen are in pole position to purchase the club from Randy Lerner in a deal which could rise to £100m, according to Sky sources.The consortium, which is based partly in the UK and partly in mainland Europe, is carrying out due diligence having been given access to the clubs accounts.Significant progress has already been made as American Lerner looks to sell the club he has owned for almost a decade.Sky Sports News HQ understands there are as many as eight groups which have come forward to buy the now-relegated Premier League club.The departure of Mervyn King and David Bernstein from the board has left the club in turmoil.However, cost-cutting and the announcement of 500 job losses at Villa Park, has cleared the path for meaningful takeover talks.Negotiations were continuing on Thursday with lawyers in Birmingham and London and are at a key stage, with sources indicating significant progress towards a deal could be made in the next 48 hours.Also See:King confident on Villa futureVilla directors resignWhats happened to Agbonlahor?Your teams pros and consCheap Jordan Retro 6 For Sale . -- Peyton Manning will have all of his wide receivers available for the first time in a month when the Denver Broncos begin their playoff run Jan. Air Jordan 6 Wholesale . Ivanovic was leading 7-5, 1-0 when Hantuchova withdrew after falling 0-40 behind in the second game. The match started slowly for Ivanovic, who surrendered her first two serves as Hantuchova took a 5-3 lead. http://www.cheapairjordan6.net/ . Most important, perhaps, it went off without a hitch. Organizers poked a little fun at the now-infamous opening ceremony gaffe that saw only four out of five snowflakes open up into rings, leaving the Olympics logo one ring short. Air Jordan 6 Retro For Sale . He says so-called TRT is only one problem and he wants to go even further than the ban. "Its about time," St-Pierre told reporters at a promotional event in Montreal on Friday. "I think its a good thing. Air Jordan 6 Discount . Galatasaray said in a statement on its website Monday that Mancini signed a three-year contract and will be paid 3.5 million euros for the upcoming season, with his salary upped to 4.EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- Nick Young took a long look around the Los Angeles Lakers bustling practice gym Monday, surveying the large gathering of cameras, reporters and teammates with a sardonic smile.Its kind of boring in here, the veteran guard said.For all the hubbub and optimism around the Lakers as they returned for a new season, the LA native realized something was missing.For the first time since 1995, the Lakers are heading into training camp without Kobe Bryant.The third-leading scorer in NBA history is ensconced in retirement in Orange County, his 60-point farewell game fading into legend with each passing week. Bryant left behind a franchise that must return from a team-worst 17-65 season with a new coach, several new players and a young core seeking an identity.It was all about Kobe, point guard DAngelo Russell said of his rookie season. Now its a different headline. Its about the young guys, the coaching staff. Theres so many more headlines.The Lakers have missed the playoffs in three straight seasons for the first time in franchise history, and coach Luke Walton isnt primarily concerned about ending that skid as he installs his system and attempts to mold a cohesive team for the first time in his own career.The former Golden State assistant and Lakers forward doesnt share Bryants binary belief that every season is either a championship campaign or an utter failure.Patience will definitely be important, said the 36-year-old Walton, who is four months younger than Lakers forward Metta World Peace. As we set our foundation, its important that we dont let whether or not were winning games take us from that path. We need to stay the course and see the big picture.Bryants final season was a traveling carnival devoted to showcasing the largely beloved star, with teammates reflexively deferring to him as the losses mounted. Nobody will defer to anybody else in the game plan envisioned by Walton, whose flowing offensive pplan is welcomed by the Lakers top draft picks over the previous three years: Julius Randle, Russell and Brandon Ingram.ddddddddddddLast year, we played a little bit too much for ourselves, thinking about our stats or whatever it may be, Randle said. That just doesnt work. Were playing for each other now. The energy, the vibe is different. You win 17 games, and everything is a press, a struggle. Its not fun. But its starting to become fun again.Some changes are bigger than others: After years of quiet in the Lakers practice gym, this team practices with musical accompaniment. Walton liked it when he played, and the Warriors do it.The Lakers have been working out together constantly for more than two weeks, but they still have plenty of team-building work to do this week at training camp in Santa Barbara.Los Angeles paid exorbitantly to sign free agents Luol Deng and Timofey Mozgov, and they added a grab-bag of veteran talent including Spanish point guard Jose Calderon, Chinese big man Yi Jianlian and forward Thomas Robinson. The Lakers also have 10 returning players from last seasons 17-win team, although Young is widely expected to be jettisoned at some point in the preseason.No newcomer is more important than Ingram, the rangy teenage forward and No. 2 pick from Duke. Russell is determined to take control of the Lakers offense after averaging 13.2 points and 3.3 assists as a rookie, while Randle said his recent workouts with Bryant have given his career the proper direction.I think its going to be fun, said guard Jordan Clarkson, who got a four-year, $50 million contract extension in July. Weve got a young, talented group of guys coming together. These are exciting times for us. Weve got a lot of work to do, but weve got a lot of room to grow.---Follow Greg Beacham at www.twitter.com/gregbeacham ' ' '