Aston Villa are thought to be admirers of Brentford manager Thomas Frank, according to The Athletic's Gregg Evans.

The Lowdown: Frank’s time at Brentford…

The Dane was actually Dean Smith’s assistant at the west London club and took over as their manager when the latter joined Villa back in 2018. Since then, he has taken charge of 161 games, winning 79 of those and taking the Bees into the Premier League.

Brentford have impressed in their first Premier League campaign, beating Arsenal and West Ham and drawing with Liverpool, whose manager Jurgen Klopp labelled Frank ‘incredible’ and ‘entertaining’.

Villa are now on the hunt for a new manager after sacking Smith, and it seems as if they may look to take another Brentford manager three years on after securing the 50-year-old.

The Latest: Villa are admirers of Frank

Evans shared a story on The Athletic regarding Smith’s sacking and the contenders to replace him.

Well-known targets such as Steven Gerrard, Ralph Hasenhuttl and Kasper Hjulmand were mentioned, but the journalist added that Villa are admirers of Frank.

Evans also claimed that NSWE are prepared to pay compensation to get the manager they want, which would not preclude any candidates who are currently in a job.

The Verdict: Lange to be key?

Sporting director Johan Lange will reportedly play a key role in bringing in a new head coach, so a move for fellow countryman Frank could be a realistic one. The pair know each other well after sharing an office when coaching at Lyngby, and the Brentford boss has impressed in his first season as a manager in the English top flight.

Lightning may well end up striking twice when it comes to Brentford bosses leaving for Villa, so the links to the 48-year-old may be worth keeping a close eye on during the international break.

In other news: Five-honour boss also in NSWE's Villa's thoughts; he's 'one of the best'.