Aston Villa confident of appointing Steven Gerrard as new manager

Aston Villa are now fully confident of naming Steven Gerrard on a long-term deal as their new manager, with confirmation of the appointment possible by the end of this week.

Although nothing has been said publicly by either club, Rangers are privately resigned to losing Gerrard, whom they hired in the summer of 2018. Villa, who sacked Dean Smith on Sunday, instantly identified Gerrard as their top target. Gerrard has a connection to Christian Purslow, the Villa chief executive, by virtue of the latter’s time as Liverpool’s managing director.

Compensation to Rangers, widely reported as around £3m, will not prove problematic at all to the Midlands club. Gerrard and his coaching staff had Rangers contracts until 2024 but there was always an understanding the manager could be tempted by a first managerial role in the Premier League.

Footage that appeared on social media on Wednesday of Gerrard arriving in London by train is not, however, believed to be linked to the Villa scenario with the former England captain in the capital for a birthday celebration of a close friend.

Gerrard is expected to bring the coaches Michael Beale, Gary McAllister, Tom Culshaw and Jordan Milsom with him from Rangers to Villa. Rangers’ hunt for a new manager is likely to focus on out-of-work candidates, with Giovanni van Bronckhorst and Frank Lampard among those under consideration by the reigning Scottish champions. Rangers currently lead Celtic by four points in the Scottish Premiership, with their next fixture a League Cup semi-final against Hibernian on 20 November.

Gerrard’s exit will be keenly felt by Glasgow’s blue half, after he ended a decade-long wait for the top tier title in May. Rangers have also progressed to the latter stages of the Europa League in consecutive seasons. However, traces of frustration felt by Gerrard have been visible this season.

After the 1-0 Europa League loss to Sparta Prague, the 41-year-old said: “We have been short in the two Europa League games but at this level, which is improving year in, year out, if we want to keep growing and go to the extra level we need to spend big money in the transfer windows, it is as simple as that. To compete with the teams we are playing against, we have to spend big money. In the last two windows we haven’t spent a penny.”

Rangers subsequently reported an annual loss of £23.5m.