Aston Villa could recruit Hull City boss Steve Bruce as their new manager in the summer if current manager Rémi Garde quits the crisis-stricken club to rejoin French side Lyon, according to the Mirror.
Villa, who are nine points adrift at the bottom of the table and likely to be relegated from the Premier League for the first time in their existence, are apparently strongly considering the 55-year-old for the manager’s position should Garde leave.
However the appointment of Bruce as Villa boss is also likely to depend on whether he can steer current club Hull back to the top flight.
Bruce, who managed arch-rivals Birmingham City for six years and had spells in the top flight with Wigan, Sunderland and most recently Hull, is currently vying for a spot in the automatic promotion places with the Tigers.
After relegation last term, Bruce, who secured his first promotion to the top flight with Birmingham in 2002, is desperate to get the Yorkshire club back in the top flight.
They are currently in fourth place – three points behind second-placed Middlesbrough but with a game in hand over Aitor Karanka’s men.
As for Rémi Garde, after what has been a disappointing spell at the club, the Frenchman could be offered a summer escape by old club Lyon.
If the French side fail to qualify for Europe then current boss Bruno Genesio – Garde’s former number two who took over when the Frenchman left for England – is likely to be sacked, with Garde touted as his replacement.
This also isn’t the first time that Villa have been linked with managers who have been at the helm of arch nemesis’ Birmingham City.
In 2011, the club risked the wrath of their fans by appointing former Blues boss Alex McLeish – who had incidentally just overseen the Blues’ relegation from the top flight.
