Sources: Gerrard lines up two 'big-money' Aston Villa January signings
Steven Gerrard is lining up two potential January signings at Aston Villa as he looks to strengthen the spine of the team, Football Insider can exclusively reveal.
The new Villa boss will be backed with funds in the upcoming window by the billionaire-owned club as he looks to immediately amend the squad he has inherited.
A Villa source has told Football Insider that the club are prepared to spend "big money" on new arrivals, with the priority a new centre-back and defensive midfielder.
The new manager has made up his mind to use January to strengthen the middle of the team after spending the last two weeks assessing the Villa squad.
Gerrard believes he has inherited an unbalanced squad with too many wide attacking players.
As revealed by Football Insider on Tuesday (23 November), Villa will listen to offers for £17million winger Bertrand Traore in January.
The Midlands giants are willing to either sell the 26-year-old on a permanent deal or loan him out for the second half of the season.
Gerrard oversaw a 2-0 win over Brighton in his first match in charge last Saturday.
That ended a run of five consecutive Premier League defeats, which culminated in the dismissal of Dean Smith two weeks ago.
But the former Rangers manager is under no illusions as to the strength of his squad, or what needs to be done to climb up the table and achieve the owners' ambitions.
The Midlands giants are 15th in the Premier League table and just four points above the drop zone.