Could Steven Gerrard’s right-hand man leave Aston Villa this summer?

Aston Villa’s assistant head coach Michael Beale is reportedly in the running to become Charlton Athletic’s new manager.

The League One club parted ways with head coach Johnnie Jackson at the beginning of the month (May) after just six months in charge at The Valley, and Steven Gerrard’s right-hand man has now emerged as a contender for the hotseat, according to the South London Press.

Alongside Gary McAllister, Beale has been a key part of Gerrard’s success during his spell at Rangers and with Villa so far, and losing him would be a big blow for the club and the former Liverpool captain.

Beale used to be in Charlton’s academy as a player, and he has also coached at Chelsea, Liverpool and Sao Paulo.

Addicks owner Thomas Sandgaard is reportedly a big admirer of the 41-year-old, and Beale was also in contention for the vacant manager’s role at the South London club when Nigel Adkins was dismissed in 2021.

According to the report, the compensation for Beale to leave Villa is not likely to be a problem for the club, but the former Chelsea coach is also believed to be in the running for Championship vacancies this summer and also has a “strong loyalty” to Gerrard.

Sandgaard told the South London Press last year that he had spoken to Beale about the Charlton vacancy.

He said: “He has a fantastic track record, especially on the supporting side.

“Of course we talked to Michael. We’ve also been a little more ambitious than that, in terms of the level of managers we’ve been reaching for.”

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