Steve Bruce is set for showdown talks with the new Aston Villa owners who will need to pay him £2million if they want to install Thierry Henry as their new manager, according to a reliable journalist.
Alan Nixon, the Sun’s transfer expert, made the claim on his personal Twitter page on Monday.
He added that Arsenal’s assistant manager Steve Bould could become Henry’s number two if the owners go down that route.
He said that the decision has not been made but is expected in the next 24 hours.
OPINION
If the new Aston Villa owners do decide to get rid of Bruce it will be yet more proof that it can be a harsh job being a manager. Bruce took Villa to within a whisker of promotion last season, agonisingly losing out in the play-off final. His reward might well be a big pay-off and a thanks for your hard work. Fans will be split though. Some will feel symapthy for Bruce, others will be excited by the possibility of having Henry and Bould take charge of their club. Henry hasn’t managed yet, but has experience at the highest level after working under Roberto Martinez for Belgium at the World Cup. Bould is assistant manager at Arsenal and has been since 2012. He would fill in the gaps that henry might have. It’s an exciting appointment and could end a rollercoaster summer for Villa fans that looks like it might be ending on a high note, although possibly not for Bruce.