Villarreal's former Arsenal manager Unai Emery has emerged as Aston Villa's prime target to succeed the sacked Steven Gerrard.
Villa went on to beat Brentford 4-0 on Sunday under caretaker Aaron Danks.
Emery, 50, is out of contract at the Spanish club next summer and has not yet signed a new deal with the La Liga outfit.
The ex-Arsenal boss joined Villarreal in 2020, having been dismissed by the Gunners in 2019.
As the successor to Arsene Wenger, Emery spent 18 months at the Emirates but was sacked after failing to win in seven games, their worst run at the time since February 1992.