Sacked Benfica coach Bruno Lage is being linked with a sensational move to Aston Villa.

O Jogo says negotiations are already at an advanced stage which would see Lage replace Dean Smith as Villa manager after Sunday's Great Escape. Driving the deal is super agent Jorge Mendes.

Benfica are eager to see the deal closed as it will mean them avoiding a €8m payout due to Lage after his axing last month.

Lage has previous experience in the UK, where he was assistant manager at both Sheffield Wednesday and Swansea City alongside Carlos Carvahal.

Mendes is now pushing to clinch an agreement with Villa in the coming days which will see Lage, who had so impressed Benfica he penned a deal to 2024 in December before his dismissal, installed as new manager.