Nigel Pearson has reportedly moved further away from the vacant Aston Villa managerial position after becoming aware he was third choice.
The former Leicester City boss was believed to be in the running with both Roberto Di Matteo and David Moyes, although the latter pulled out of the race on Monday.
In turn, it was expected that it would be between the two remaining candidates, but according to The Express, it appears as though Pearson is ready to snub the recently relegated side.
His decision to do so comes after being considered the third choice for the role behind Di Matteo and Moyes, with the Italian in particular being singled out as new owner Tony Xia’s preferred option.
While his reported talks with Lazio, as noted by The Express, suggested that he was no longer the favourite, Moyes’ decision to remove himself from contention was another blow for the club.
Combined with the latest development regarding Pearson, Villa could well now face a real headache over their managerial appointment this summer, and given how important it is for the club to get the right man given their current predicament, it isn’t the start that Xia or the supporters would have hoped for.
Naturally, there is still the possibility that Pearson can be persuaded to take the job if he feels as though it’s the right fit for him, while Di Matteo is far from reaching an agreement with any other club and so is still an option.
After a miserable season in which they were relegated from the Premier League, Villa were boosted by the arrival of Xia, although he still has to pass the relevant Football League tests before he is officially confirmed as the new owner.
Nevertheless, he will be expected to push funds into the club in the summer transfer market, but it’s absolutely critical that he has the right manager in place to secure an immediate return to the top flight.