Aston Villa set to discard senior figure after owners make up minds - Sources
Aston Villa are set to discard sporting director Jesus Garcia Pitarch at the end of the season, Football Insider has learned.
Owners Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens have turned their attention to the position of the 56-year-old following the huge transfer spend of the last two windows.
A Villa source has told Football Insider that the businessmen duo are set to give the green light for Pitarch to be dismissed irrespective of whether the club maintain their Premier League status.
That is very much in the balance, with the league suspended and the Midlands giants 19th in the division and two points adrift of safety.
The likely exit of Pitarch comes at a time when the future of Dean Smith as manager is up in the air.
As revealed by Football Insider, his position is under threat after four consecutive league defeats and Villa chiefs were ready to axe him if they had lost last Saturday's postponed clash against Chelsea and replace him with John Terry.
Pitarch, who was appointed in October 2018, has come under the internal microscope after the club spent £125million on new players last summer.
There were also four further signings in the January transfer window, partly in response to a devastating injury crisis that robbed the team of key trio John McGinn, Tom Heaton and Wesley.
Villa spent £10million on striker Mbwana Samatta while Pepe Reina and Danny Drinkwater arrived on loan.
Borja Baston arrived on deadline day from Swansea, signing a short-term deal.
Villa conceded four goals at Leicester and have the worst defensive record in the division.