Ole Gunnar Solskjaer jetting in for talks with Randy Lerner

Villa owner Randy Lerner was today set to embark on a selling job to persuade Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to become the club's next manager.

The former Manchester United striker, now in charge of Molde in his native Norway, was set to arrive in Birmingham today in Lerner's private jet which arrived in Kristiansund last night.

But there are a number of issues which must be ironed out, not least question marks over Solskjaer's desire to leave Molde, whom he played for before moving to Old Trafford in 1996, at this stage of his managerial career.

He led them to their first top-flight title last October in his first year in charge and would turn down the chance to manage in the Champions League should he join Villa.

Solskjaer is halfway through a four-year contract at Molde, and is heading into the talks with Lerner with an open mind, although there is a feeling that he would prefer to leave his homeland closer to the end of his deal.

And he even implied in his first press conference that only the Manchester United job would persuade him to leave Norway so early into his coaching career.

Another major factor would be the decision to uproot his wife Silje and three children having just settled in Kristiansund following his return to Norway in November 2010 after coaching United's reserve team.

Last November, he was quoted as saying: "Every manager dreams of managing Manchester United.

"If I got that offer I would say yes without thinking but it's not in my wildest dreams or plans at all.

"I don't think anyone would have talked about me managing United a year ago, that's for sure.

"I don't think one year at Molde gives me the right to say I can manage United one day, but everyone can dream.

"That dream is maybe too big for me at the moment, but if that happens then I'll have done a lot of things right along the way."