Next Aston Villa manager: David Moyes back in frame
Villa could have a new boss by the end of the week with David Moyes an increasingly strong contender to be named the club's next manager.
The former Everton and Manchester United manager is on a four-man shortlist drawn up by the claret and blues prospective new owner, Dr Tony Xia, as he and his advisers look to appoint the right man to revive the relegated club.
Nigel Pearson and former Albion boss Roberto Di Matteo are also under consideration and sources close to Xia were last night eager to stress no decision has yet been made.
But Moyes is understood to have made a strong impression when meeting with Xia's advisers last week and with Di Matteo thought to be in discussions with Lazio, the Scot has now overtaken the Italian as the bookies' favourite. Pearson remains the choice of Villa's current chairman Steve Hollis, who will make the case for the former Leicester manager when he meets with Xia for further consultations this week.
Moyes has been out of work since being sacked by Real Sociedad last November. He is understood to have held talks with Villa before they appointed Remi Garde but harboured concerns over the structure of the club's football department, which at that point included sporting director Hendrik Almstadt.
Such worries would need to be soothed before the 53-year-old accepted the job this time around, as would any doubts over Xia's takeover, which is awaiting approval from the Football League and Premier League. There is also the possibility Moyes might receive other offers from Premier League clubs, most notably Everton, who are themselves searching for a manager after sacking Roberto Martinez.
