Sources: Ex-Aston Villa chief Christian Purslow in talks to reunite with Steven Gerrard at Al-Ettifaq

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Published on:

24 Nov 2023, 4:22 am

Former Aston Villa chief executive Christian Purslow is in talks to join Saudi Pro League club Al-Ettifaq, sources have told Football Insider.

Should the 59-year-old agree a deal with the Saudi outfit, he would again link up with Liverpool legend and ex-Villa boss Steven Gerrard.

Purslow and Gerrard have an unlikely association dating back nearly 15 years to their overlapping time at Anfield.

The ex-Chelsea chief was also the driving force behind the former England captain's appointment as Aston Villa boss in November 2021.

Now, the pair could be reunited once again in the mega-rich Saudi Pro League following the nation's emergence as a footballing power in the last year.

Al-Ettifaq sit seventh in the table after 13 games - following the signings of stars like Georginio Wijnaldum, Moussa Dembele, Demarai Gray and Jack Hendry in the summer window.

Gerrard took the job in July, just over eight months after his time at Aston Villa became a disaster, and has won 11 of a possible 19 games.

The Midlands club chose to dispense with the 43-year-old in October 2022 with Villa sitting just above the relegation zone.

He lasted just under a year in the role and won just 13 of a possible 40 games in charge at Villa Park.

Meanwhile, Purslow departed the club in June after a successful five-year spell in the Midlands.

The Harvard graduate was appointed in August 2018 and oversaw promotion back to the Premier League and Villa re-establish themselves as a top-half club in the top flight.

In other news, Aston Villa plot sensational new striker raid.

Aston Villa