Steven Gerrard has had a brisk start to his first pre-season in charge at Aston Villa and that could continue in the coming weeks as he continues to reshape his squad with the aim of competing for European football next season.

Managing director Christian Purslow, sporting director Johan Lange and Gerrard have been proactive in the window from the end of the 2021/22 campaign, with Philippe Coutinho and Robin Olsen converting their loans to permanent stays while securing the signings of Boubacar Kamara and Diego . Charles too.

For the remainder of the summer window, Gerrard is said to be keen to continue investing in his midfield while possibly targeting a left-back and striker.

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Here’s a roundup of the latest Villa rumours…

Conor Gallagher

BirminghamLive Journalist Ashley Preece says Villa are “aware” of Gallagher’s situation at Chelsea, with a fee of around £30million said to be enough to convince Thomas Tuchel to part ways with the England international this summer.

Gerrard has already plugged the gaping hole in the middle of the park with the signing of Kamara and pairing his defensive reinforcements with the attacking prowess offered by Gallagher in midfield could be key to propelling Villa into the standings next season. However, Tuchel would like to give Gallagher a chance to prove himself in pre-season before the campaign starts.

Tuchel commented on Gallagher’s future at the end of last season, saying: “They will come back for sure. I want to have them in pre-season. We will decide in pre-season what happens. That’s strongly to [them] – and how they do it.”

Calvin Bassey

The versatile Rangers defender has been heavily linked with a move to Villa Park in a deal that would see him work with Gerrard again, after the Villa boss signed Bassey from Leicester City during his time at Rangers.

Bassey captured the attention of the footballing world with his dominating and impressive displays throughout Rangers’ Europa League run throughout last season. From his pace of recovery to the way he excels in individual defensive situations, Bassey’s defensive abilities would be welcome at Villa, especially considering Ezri Konsa’s fitness ahead of the new season is not clear.

Rangers are believed to be demanding a fee of around £25m for the player which could scupper a potential move for Gerrard this summer due to the high price tag.

Sergio Gomez

The Spanish left-back is said to be on Villa’s ‘list’ as Gerrard seeks a young but experienced understudy for Lucas Digne next season, who will no doubt be the first choice in the role for the new campaign. Despite Digne’s likely dominance in this area, competition for places is sought by Gerrard and his team to maintain a level of desire within the team each week.

The 21-year-old Anderlecht left-back registered an impressive 11 assists for the Belgian side last season, underlining his obvious ability to contribute in the future, a trait Gerrard holds in high esteem from his full-backs.

Would you accept any of these signings at Villa? Have your say in the comments section…

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