Villa close on Solskjaer after talks

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer moved a step closer to becoming Aston Villa’s next manager as he held talks with owner Randy Lerner yesterday.

But the former Manchester United striker returned to Norway to find his current club, Molde, in turmoil as a direct consequence of his actions.

Solskjaer held a four-hour meeting with Lerner, calling the talks with Villa “casual”. However they prompted Molde’s billionaire backer to pull the plug on his company’s 20-year support, which included building a new stadium.