Villa boss Remi Garde having problems attracting new recruits

But the Frenchman will not give up trying to get the club’s targets to look at the bigger picture, as the likelihood of relegation to the Sky Bet Championship has so far put off players.

Frustrated Villa fans, with their team 10 points from safety, pleaded with chief executive Tom Fox at the Supporters’ Trust AGM on Thursday night to get some transfer business done this month in order to help give the club a fighting chance of pulling off a miracle escape.

Fox said Villa had been ‘’holding conversations’’ with a number of players but, because they are in the ‘’most difficult position in the Premier League’’, they are largely having trouble persuading them to come to Villa Park.

Garde understands the predicament and says he would ‘’not complain about this kind of thing’’ if if transpired that the transfer window closed on February 1 and he had to complete the campaign with the players he already has.

‘’We are working hard to sign players but in our position in the table it is quite difficult to sign players,’’ said Garde, whose side continue their uphill battle for survival at midlands neighbours West Brom on Saturday.

“But hopefully we are getting closer every day it is going on.

‘’Players are attracted by what? They want to play in England if we are speaking about foreign players, and English players want to play in the Premier League.

“But the price of English players is sometimes for many reasons higher than foreign players.”