Steven Gerrard's Leon Bailey call which hints time is running out for Aston Villa's £17m man

Steven Gerrard wants to build a squad capable of challenging for European football as Aston Villa look to crack the Premier League's top six in the years to come.

The statement signings of Philippe Coutinho and Lucas Digne followed up the notable arrivals of Danny Ings, Emiliano Buendia and Leon Bailey in the summer.

Of course, Villa lost their talisman and captain Jack Grealish for a record Premier League transfer fee in August, and while the club have struggled to adapt to life without the England international, there is no doubt that Villa have greater squad depth as a result.

Gerrard will attack the summer market with the hope of landing a holding midfielder above all else, while the rest of his team is well-stocked across the board with youth players - including the likes of Kaine Kesler-Hayden, Cameron Archer, Louie Barry and Jaden Philogene-Bidace - also set to stake their claim for Premier League minutes next term.

Particularly in attacking positions do Villa have enough depth to allow Gerrard to manage Villa's attack on the division's upper echelons. However, there is a question mark over the form of Ollie Watkins and Ings, while the likes of Coutinho (subject to a permanent transfer), Buendia and Bailey will all look to kick-start their Villa careers come the start of next season.

Jamaica international Bailey has struggled to keep fit so far this term, having arrived from Bayer Leverkusen for a £30million fee in the summer.

"We need to keep him fit and healthy from now until the end of the season because he’s a big player," Gerrard previously said.

"He’s a big investment for the club. He should feel like a new signing for all of us because he’s a big talent."

He added: "We’ve signed a talent who has