Anderlecht coach Besnik Hasi has emerged as one of the surprise names under consideration by Aston Villa.

The Premier League basement club are expected to announce the departure of Remi Garde in the next 24 hours and former Leicester City manager Nigel Pearson is among the preferred candidates.

Pearson wants a club he will be allowed to develop and grow and Villa fits the bill in many ways but it is not an easy task. There are also potential changes at other clubs which he is maintaining interest in.

Anderlecht coach Besnik Hasi has emerged as one of the surprise names under consideration by Aston Villa

Frenchman Remi Garde is expected to leave the Premier League's bottom club in the next 24 hours

Hull's Steve Bruce and Tony Pulis at West Brom are other names in the frame for Villa but Hasi has been proposed to Villa as another coach of great potential.

Hasi, who was at the Manchester derby on Saturday sat alongside City and Belgium captain Vincent Kompany, is only 44 but has quickly established a reputation for developing young players and has shown an ability to cope after some stars were sold on.

A centre-back as a player, Hasi was born in Yugoslavia but went on to represent Albania and won 44 caps.

He began coaching as an assistant at Anderlecht in 2008 and became manager in 2014 and has a 53 per cent win percentage.

Anderlecht are third in the Belgian League with some promising youngsters such as Dennis Praet and Youri Tielemans expected to attract big offers from Premier League sides in the summer.

Former Leicester City manager Nigel Pearson is among the preferred candidates to take over from Garde