Aston Villa have reportedly closed in on the appointment of Nigel Pearson as their new manager, and the former Leicester City boss could have also identified his right-hand man.

Villa are not yet mathematically relegated from the Premier League, but they are 15 points from safety with only five games remaining and likely to go down this weekend.

The club, currently managed by caretaker boss Eric Black, is without a full-time head coach since Remi Garde's departure last month and already preparing for life in the Championship.

Ex-Leicester manager Pearson is said to be one of the names at the top of Villa's wishlist and they could make a formal approach later this month.

According to The Telegraph, Pearson will choose former Huddersfield Town and Charlton Athletic manager Chris Powell as his assistant for his next job.

The paper goes on to say that Powell, a player and coach during Pearson's first spell at Leicester, almost joined the latter at Fulham late last year before the move broke down.