Aston Villa aren't interested in appointing a director of football.

The Birmingham Mail says chairman Randy Lerner and chief executive Paul Faulkner intend to recruit a boss with responsibility for transfers, training and first team selection rather than a coach operating in tandem with a sporting director.

Lerner and Faulkner have always preferred a simple structure where the manager works closely with them. They believe an extra tier would be an unnecessary complication and have no intention of changing the existing system.