Steven Gerrard is certain Aston Villa’s billionaire owners will give him the funds to recruit players for the team. After promotion to the Premier League in 2019,Wes Edens have set aside nearly £350million on new players. Liverpool and Leeds star Kalvin Phillips is on Gerrard’s radar, but he may be difficult to acquire from Leeds. The club also had a bid rejected for Brighton’s Yves Bissouma back in January and could return, hoping to sign him at the end of this season. Villa also has an interest in Southampton pair James Ward-Prowse and Oriol Romeu. In their last game, Aston Villa was thrashed 3-0 by Wolves, which is why they now need to refresh their midfield.
When asked about any changes coming to the club, Gerrard stated: “What the owners have done for this club has been phenomenal. I think they’ll stay true to their ambitions and want to win matches.” His close staff knows where the team is strong and where it needs support. “We’re stood safe in 16th,” says Gerrard. “We can go up, but there’s a gap between the teams above us.”
The subject of tactics is expected to be one of the main items for discussion over the coming weeks, with some fans still unhappy with the way he has been using Philippe Coutinho. The Brazilian has had great moments in an orange shirt, but he has also had some mediocre showings, such as his recent performance away at Wolves. Some fans have speculated that the manager should consider making a change and adding another creative element to the front line.
A lot has changed for Wolves this season, but Lage has remained consistent. With his first season at the helm now wrapping up, he deserves credit for balancing the demands of a young squad with the ambitions of his employers. The Portuguese manager has revived the club after a disappointing final season under Nuno — using largely the same players — and put them firmly in Europe next season.