Journalist Dean Jones has claimed that numerous players could leave Aston Villa during the summer transfer window as Steven Gerrard looks to form his ideal squad.

The Lowdown: Poor recent form

The 41-year-old’s start to life at Villa Park was very positive. The team picked up four wins in their opening six games under their new boss, revitalising their season following a disappointing end to Dean Smith’s tenure in the autumn.

However, in Villa’s last eight Premier League matches, they have gained just eight points, having only won twice during this period.

This included embarrassing back-to-back defeats to relegation-threatened 12th place in the top flight.

The Latest: Jones expects numerous Villa exits

With Villa's owners having invested a huge amount of money into transfers over the past year, Jones believes that a number of departures will take place in the summer as Gerrard continues to imprint his philosophy on the club.

Speaking to GiveMeSport, the journalist claimed: “I think there will be quite a lot of exits at Villa. I think that Gerrard will almost demand that because he needs to get a grip on this squad and have it reflect his own identity and personality.”

The Verdict: Is an overhaul needed?

Villa have pulled off some remarkable signings recently in a bid to push for European football.

The club signed Barcelona attacker Philippe Coutinho on loan, their most high-profile signing to date. Further additions such as Emiliano Buendia and Lucas Digne also added to this cause, illustrating Villa's ambitions to elevate themselves into top-six contenders.

One consequence is that many players have been tipped for potential Villa Park departures. As a result, it seems like the club are acting on short-term results, rather than long-term vision. Consequently, this could lead to a lack of consistency and philosophy at Villa, which could do more harm than good in the long run.

In other news: Gerrard is reportedly ready to sell this Aston Villa stalwart