By Safiu Kehinde
Aston Villa are few steps closer to acquiring the service of Steven Gerrard after Rangers acknowledged his return to the Premier League.
The Villains, after their fifth consecutive defeat, sacked their manager, Dean Smith. They currently sit 16th with 10 points gathered so far – 2 points above the relegation zone.
Surrounding the sack of Dean Smith was controversies on who to take the Aston Villa with Gerrard considered a likely replacement.
Recall that BlackBox Nigeria reported the stern warning issued by Gerrard’s ex-teammates and Rangers legend on the Aston Villa job. It is, however, appearing that the 41-year-old will break against the odds and become Villa’s new boss.
Along with Gerrard, his assistants Gary McAllister and Michael Beale will both join the party. McAllister had once been under the realm of management at Villa Park and a possible return will see him work hand in gloves with Steven Gerrard.
Also likely to be involved in the former Liverpool captain’s deal is Aston Villa’s set piece specialist, Tom Culshaw, and Head of Performance, Jordan Milsom. Both men may likely be part of the compensational deal.
Aston Villa owners, Naseef Sawiris and Wes Edens are tipped to shoulder the responsibility of letting go of the two crucial members of the team in a bid to buy Steven Gerrard over. The owners have made Aston Villa one of the biggest spenders during the transfer market.
Their exploitation had seen Villa parade high class players such as Leon Bailey, Ole Watkins, Betrand Traore, Ashley Young, and others. They also saw the big money offloading of their former captain, Jack Grealish, to Man City – a move which contributed Villa’s underperformance this season.
Meanwhile, Villa are believed to have paid around £3 million to request the service of Gerrard and his team. A quick conclusion of the deal will see Gerrard as a likely figure at Aston Villa’s dugout during their next match against Brighton & Holves Albion.
