Aston Villa assistant Michael Beale set for QPR job
Villa boss Steven Gerrard has been dealt a blow with assistant Michael Beale poised to become QPR’s new manager.
The London club hope to confirm the 41-year-old as Mark Warburton’s successor by the end of the week.
Beale is a highly-rated coach and a key member of Gerrard’s backroom team which won the Scottish title with Rangers before moving to Villa last November.
But he has always made clear his personal ambitions in management and is ready to strike out on his own with the R’s. Villa will now begin the search for his successor.
Beale’s likely exit is the first setback of a key summer which has begun strongly for Gerrard, with Villa having secured the signings of Philippe Coutinho and Boubacar Kamara.
A £26million deal for Sevilla defender Diego Carlos will be rubber-stamped when the Brazilian receives a work permit.
Villa have, meanwhile, dropped their interest in Burnley’s James Tarkowski while Napoli centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly is not on their radar.
