Mark Lawrenson gives transfer warning to Gerrard

Steven Gerrard raised many eyebrows after signing Philippe Coutinho on loan with an option to buy from Barcelona in January. Many posited that the move could lead to other big-name arrivals in the summer transfer window, but Mark Lawrenson has warned Gerrard that Villa won’t pull off another transfer coup if they can’t arrest their slide.

The Midlands outfit are currently 15th in the Premier League table with 37 points from 32 games, having picked up just one point from their last five, scoring just two goals. Villa have picked up only one home win in 2022 and are now closer to the relegation zone (eight points) than the top-eight (12 points), so they might not be an attractive destination for players.

Lawrenson said for BBC Sport: “It’s important for Steven Gerrard that things don’t continue to drift until the end of the season after he made such a strong start as Villa boss, because how they finish the campaign will affect who he is able to attract to the club in the summer.”

Villa might have a lot of business to conduct this summer. They’re on the hunt for a centre-back that may replace Kortney Hause, a defensive-midfielder to replace Morgan Sanson and potentially a striker that can challenge Ollie Watkins for a starting place, so they need players to buy in to the project.

If they in a relegation battle, they’re likely to get overlooked for clubs doing better in their domestic league. Villa have six games remaining, so there’s 18 points still up for grabs.

In other news, Kortney Hause could be Aston Villa’s first casualty of the transfer window