Forget Mings: Villa eye "unstoppable" 80-goal machine, could be Gerrard's next skipper - opinion

Ever since Steven Gerrard’s appointment as Aston Villa boss back in November, it has seemingly been a case of when and not if his former Rangers captain James Tavernier will be joining him at the Premier League outfit.

Prior to, during and since the Liverpool legend’s stint at Ibrox, the attacking full-back has remained an outstanding and talismanic presence for the Old Firm giants, with it unsurprising that the 30-year-old is courting attention from clubs south of the border.

According to journalist Dean Jones (via GiveMeSport), the prolific defender is a player that Gerrard and co are believed to be ‘looking at’ ahead of the summer, with replacing Tyrone Mings as captain potentially on the agenda.

The Villa boss recently suggested that a change with regards to the armband could happen at the end of the season, while he also dropped a major hint that it could well be Tavernier that is the man to fill the void.

As quoted by The Daily Mail, the 41-year-old said of the captaincy that: “I still won’t rule out the option of someone coming in, who I know, who is also capable of being in the running”.

Reading between the lines – and amid all the speculation – it wouldn’t be surprising if he is in fact referring to the current Gers ace, with the Englishman potentially the ideal leader that the current dressing room is lacking.

Although Dean Smith’s successor did suggest that Mings “is in with a really good shout” of remaining as captain moving forward, the 17-cap international’s poor form of late has perhaps dented his chances, with pundit Danny Mills recently suggesting that he’s “not convinced” by the 29-year-old and that the club need to secure a quality replacement in order to reach that “next level”.

Not only has Tavernier