Former Liverpool director of football, Damien Comolli, is reportedly being lined up as the new technical director of Aston Villa by potential investors.
The 43-year-old hasn’t been involved with a club in England since leaving Anfield in April 2012, and an assessment of the signings that he oversaw during his time at the club has resulted in a mixed review.
Comolli was responsible for the signings of the likes of Luis Suarez and Jordan Henderson, but in turn was also overseeing matters at a time when the Merseysiders brought in Andy Carroll and Sebastian Coates.
However, the scrutiny under which he came seemingly hasn’t put him off returning to work in England, with The Telegraph reporting that he is already undertaking diligence on Villa’s set-up and academy.
His involvement will come as a technical director as part of a Chinese consortium hoping to buy the recently relegated Premier League outfit, with chairman Steve Hollis said to be in discussions with three parties as current owner Randy Lerner looks to move on.
Aside from new ownership, directors and all the other aspects that will have to be considered ahead of featuring in the Championship next season, Villa are also still hunting for a new manager with The Telegraph suggesting that Nigel Pearson remains the favourite for the job.
While the former Leicester City boss awaits assurances about the club’s future and budget heading into the summer, it promises to be a critical time at Villa Park on various fronts as they look to plot their way back to the English top flight.
Whether or not Comolli can mastermind their revival in terms of being successful in the transfer market remains to be seen, but he will certainly be under a similar level of pressure as he was at Liverpool to get things right.