Thierry Henry is emerging as the early favourite to take over at Aston Villa after initial talks with the club's hierarchy.

Henry, the legendary Arsenal forward, has discussed the prospect of taking over at the Championship club in what will be his first job in management.

The 41-year-old has been targeted by Villa's ambitious new owners, Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens, and is considering whether to leave the Belgium FA, where he currently works as one of Roberto Martinez's assistant coaches.

Villa sacked Steve Bruce on Wednesday after a torrid run of results and are keen to appoint an innovative young manager capable of guiding the club back to the Premier League.

Henry was discussed as a potential summer target for Sawiris and Edens after they completed their majority takeover in July and Villa were forced to release a statement reiterating their support for Bruce.

But the 3-3 draw with Preston North End was Bruce's last game in charge and Villa have been considering realistic candidates to succeed him, with the intention of making an appointment before the home game against Swansea on October 20.

Christian Purslow, the Villa chief executive, is spearheading the search and could complete the appointment of Henry next week if negotiations continue to progress smoothly. It has been claimed that Henry believes the Villa job is his if he wants it.