Michael Beale has Aston Villa transfer advantage on one condition

Former Aston Villa striker Gabriel Agbonlahor has tipped Michael Beale to turn to Steven Gerrard's squad so he can improve his Queens Park Rangers team before the start of the Championship campaign.

Beale left Villa as Gerrard's assistant head coach earlier this month to take up the vacant managerial role at Loftus Road following Mark Warburton's departure. Gerrard acted quickly to take Neil Critchley from Blackpool, and reportedly paid £1.2million in compensation to do so.

And ex-Premier League forward Agbonlahor thinks Beale should raid Villa for young talent on loan deals this summer. He told Football Insider: "If there are players that Steven Gerrard has got and they need game time and if Beale is after them then I’m sure it will be a relationship that still goes on.

"First of all, he’ll be looking at the players in the pre-season tour and have a look at them. There’s going to be five subs next season so you are going to need a bigger squad."

There are several youngsters in Villa's ranks who will need minutes out on loan next season, with the likes Tim Iroegbunam and Kaine Kesler Hayden two possible options for Beale. Elsewhere, while Keinan Davis' future is yet to be decided, he could be a loan option for QPR, too.

Nottingham Forest would like to take Davis back permanently this summer, but they are closing in on a deal to take Taiwo Awoniyi to the City Ground in what would be a record transfer for the Reds.