MacDonald expects Garde to join Villa

Aston Villa caretaker manager Kevin MacDonald expects Remi Garde take charge at Villa Park, if the club are willing to splash the cash to get their man. 

MacDonald will take charge of the Premier League’s bottom-placed side at Tottenham on Monday following the sacking of Tim Sherwood last weekend.

Villa are believed to want former Lyon coach Remi Garde, but the ex-Arsenal player’s insistence on bringing his backroom staff – under long-term contract at the Ligue 1 side – is proving to be an obstacle.

But Macdonald said on Friday: “If they’re desperate to get him, then they’ll pay the money.

“He’s got a good pedigree as a coach and obviously the hierarchy think he’s the man for the job.

“Arsene Wenger came in with no Premier League experience and he didn’t do badly.”

While Garde remains the firm favourite to land the job, MacDonald’s sole focus will be on getting his side ready for the trip to White Hart Lane.

“I’ve been told I need to prepare the team for Monday – whether Remi has been given the position or will be in the stand to watch, I don’t know,” he added.

It remains to be seen if Villa and Garde can come to an agreement, though, with Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas determined to retain coaches Bruno Genesio and Gerald Baticle.

Aulas told Le Progres: “Remi, I hope, will go to Aston Villa, he deserves a big English club. But an assistant under contract cannot leave. And a deputy cannot ask [to leave].”