Aston Villa will hold talks with Birmingham City manager Alex McLeish in a move set to rile the Brum.
McLeish stepped down from his role as City boss on the weekend and is being touted as the replacement for Gerard Houllier at Villa Park.
Sky Sports News suggests that the next 24 hours will see more developments but Villa are happy to go ahead with the £5.4million payout that Birmingham have asked for and a deal could be in place by the end of the week.
Furthermore, a Villa statement said that an interview with the ex-Rangers and Scotland boss would occur.
"The club has been reluctant to elaborate publicly on our search for a new manager and, in particular, to confirm or deny our interest in specific candidates," read the statement.
"This is not a new policy, indeed it is the approach that we have taken both in regard to managerial prospects, and potential player signings.
"The club understands that Alex McLeish is a free agent. We therefore intend to interview him imminently in order to make a decision regarding his candidacy to become Villa manager."
