Aston Villa could be a 'realistic' destination for Mauricio Pochettino and he has to be open-minded over taking charge at Villa Park as he looks to return to the Premier League, according to journalist Dean Jones.

Steven Gerrard was appointed as the Midlands giants' boss last November, but he has overseen an underwhelming start to the season.

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What's the latest news involving Pochettino?

According to Football Insider, Pochettino is keen on the possibility of succeeding Gerrard in the Villa dugout.

The report suggests the Argentinian, who has been out of work since being sacked by Paris Saint-Germain in the summer, is looking for the right project and is not only interested in joining a club competing in the Champions League.

It is understood that Pochettino is on a list of targets compiled by the Villa hierarchy in case they decide to show Gerrard the door.

Speaking on the Overlap Review, The Athletic journalist David Ornstein revealed Pochettino would not discount a move to the Midlands thanks to the club's ambitious owners.

The 50-year-old was reportedly under consideration to take over at Chelsea after the Blues sacked Thomas Tuchel earlier this month, but Graham Potter was handed the reins instead.

What has Dean Jones said about Pochettino?

Jones understands that Pochettino is desperate to seal a return to the English top flight and, while he would have initially been hoping to take charge of a side higher up the table, a switch to Villa could be attractive.

The journalist believes the former Tottenham Hotspur chief, who won the Ligue 1 title during his PSG stint, would bring success to Villa Park.

Jones told GIVEMESPORT: "Pochettino's aim is to land in the Premier League again. That is what he sees happening and he knows he can, obviously, manage in the Premier League.

"Aston Villa are probably not the level of club he imagined returning to in England while he was at PSG, but the fact is none of the very top jobs are going to crop up anytime soon unless something disastrous happens somewhere.

"It is probably realistic that he's got to open his mind up to a team like Aston Villa. It might be a club that he can turn around quite quickly and have success."

Is Gerrard likely to be sacked by Villa?

Villa went into the international break sitting just three points clear of the Premier League's relegation zone and Gerrard's record since moving into the dugout is not particularly positive.

The ex-Rangers manager has endured more defeats than victories since being named as Dean Smith's replacement.

With that being the case, Gerrard is a long way short of achieving his long-term goal of leading the club back into Europe.

However, having been allowed to spend more than £60million during the summer transfer window, it appears he has the hierarchy's backing for now.

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