Aston Villa will make an approach to Rangers to speak to Steven Gerrard over the vacant manager’s job THIS WEEK after making him their No 1 target – with the Liverpool legend interested in listening to the proposal
- Steven Gerrard is Aston Villa’s number one target to replace Dean Smith
- Roberto Martinez is also on the shortlist to become Aston Villa manager
- Villa’s owners are impressed by the job that Gerrard has done at Ibrox
Aston Villa will make a formal approach to Rangers to speak to Steven Gerrard this week and are determined to make him their next manager.
Though Roberto Martinez is also on a shortlist to succeed Dean Smith, who was sacked on Sunday, Gerrard is Villa’s No 1 target and they want him in place for the home game against Brighton on November 20.
Owners Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens and chief executive Christian Purslow have been impressed by the job Gerrard has done at Ibrox, where he won the Scottish Premiership title last season, breaking Celtic’s sequence of nine in a row.
Aston Villa are set to make a formal approach to speak to Rangers boss Steven Gerrard
Gerrard is Villa’s number one choice and has impressed their owners with his job at Rangers
The former Liverpool and England captain is under contract at Rangers until 2024 and has shown impressive loyalty to the club since he became their manager in May 2018 — his first role as a boss after working with Liverpool’s age-group teams.
If Villa are granted permission to speak to him and can agree compensation with Rangers, it is thought Gerrard would be interested in listening to the proposal.
Not everything has gone to plan for Rangers since they won their 55th Scottish title in spectacular style — they finished the season unbeaten — and Gerrard was frustrated about the club’s inability to strengthen ahead of a potential Champions League campaign.
Belgium boss Roberto Martinez is also on the shortlist to replace Dean Smith as manager
Gerrard has been the leading name on a shortlist that contains Thomas Frank of Brentford and Denmark coach Kasper Hjulmand. Frank Lampard and Ralph Hasenhuttl have also been considered, but it is unlikely Hasenhuttl would leave Southampton at this stage.
Should Gerrard depart, his assistants Tommy Culshaw, Gary McAllister, first-team coach Michael Beale and head of performance Jordan Milsom would likely follow him.
Although Gerrard has always said he is happy at Rangers, moving south would allow him to spend more time with his family, who live in the Liverpool area.
Smith was sacked by Villa after losing five successive games in a row for his boyhood club
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