Sources: Aston Villa confident of appointing Gerrard by Sunday after talks last night
Aston Villa are confident of appointing Rangers boss Steven Gerrard as their new manager by Sunday after talks last night, Football Insider can reveal.
A Villa source has told Football Insider that there is a growing confidence Gerrard will be named as Dean Smith's permanent successor within the coming days.
Rangers are now braced for an official approach for their manager as the likelihood grows that he will take the next step in his career south of the border.
Villa will need to pay the Glasgow giants a compensation sum for Gerrard but that will not be an issue for the billionaire-owned club.
Funded by the mega riches of ambitious owners Naseef Sawiris and Wes Edens, Villa have been one of the biggest spenders in the Premier League in recent seasons.
Chief executive Christian Purslow has led the pursuit of Gerrard, who he knows from his days as Liverpool managing director, as he looks to bring in a marquee manager with the profile and prestige that he believes fits with Villa's ambition.
This site first revealed on 8 April that Villa had a "strong interest" in luring Gerrard from Rangers.
Football Insider updated yesterday to reveal that Gerrard's long-term dream of managing Liverpool is likely to remain on the backburner until Jurgen Klopp is ready to go in 2024.
Gerrard has built a reputation as one of the brightest young managers in the game during his three-and-a-half years at Rangers.
He steered the club to last season's Scottish Premiership title, ending Celtic's 10-in-a-row hopes, and has also made Rangers a force to be reckoned with in Europe again.