The Telegraph reveals Aston Villa’s compensation package for Gerrard and five coaches

Aston Villa will be able to pick up Steven Gerrard and a five man backroom staff for just £3m.

Permission was granted tonight for Villa to speak to the former Liverpool skipper with the appointment now appearing to be just a matter of timing with Villa’s social media team hard at work.

Coaches Michael Beale, Gary McAllister, Tom Culshaw and Jordan Milsom are included in the job lot from Ibrox.

Having Gerrard under contract until 2024 was viewed as some sort of security for the Ibrox side but it seems that the compensation package is the same as the transfer fee paid last year for Cedric Itten.

The Telegraph reports:

It is understood Villa have paid around £3 million to ‘sign’ Gerrard and his team, with the appointment driven by chief executive Christian Purslow and fully approved by owners Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens, plus sporting director Johan Lange.

Villa are currently 16th in the Premier League after five successive defeats, which spelled the end of Smith’s tenure on Sunday.

Gerrard’s first game will be Brighton at home on Saturday week. He is also set for an emotional return to Liverpool, the club where he made over 500 appearances, on Saturday December 11

Derek McInnes, Robbie Neilson, Alex Rae, Nuno Espirito Santo and Shelley Kerr are among the early favourites to replace Gerrard with Graeme Murty expected to take training on Monday ahead of a permanent appointment being made.