Former Aston Villa manager Graham Taylor has urged American owner Randy Lerner to consider slashing his asking price for the club.

It has been widely reported that Lerner, who owned the Cleveland Browns until 2012, is looking to offload the Villans and has rarely attended matches in recent months.

However, Taylor believes that the 52-year-old would be acting in the best interests of the club if he were to reduce the price.

He told The Mirror: "I worked for Doug Ellis and whatever one says about him, he cannot be described as a non-football person. You cannot run a football club by phone from the other side of the Atlantic and that is what Lerner is trying to do.

"I don't know who is on Aston Villa's board, how it's run, no-one does.

"All I can ask is that things are sorted out quickly. You've brought somebody in, but it might be too late Mr Lerner."

Aston Villa host Stoke City in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon.