Villa is looking for Steven Gerrard’s successor after he was sacked after the 0-3 defeat against Fulham, but the German coach refused, according to The Sun newspaper.
Aston Villa wanted to appoint German Thomas Tuchel, but believed they had five other candidates in mind, most notably Mauricio Pochettino.
The Argentine wants to return to the Premier League, but is waiting for a big team, and is ready to spend time away from training after leaving Saint-Germain in the summer.
Another name on the list is Sporting Lisbon coach Ruben Amorim, who has been linked with the vacant coaching job at Wolverhampton.
But Ruben Amorim has ignored Wolves because he does not want to leave Sporting, so Aston Villa may have a hard time convincing him to make the move.
Aston Villa may also find it difficult to lure Thomas Frank from Brentford, although sporting director Johan Lang is impressed by his Danish compatriot.
Should Aston Villa fail to sign a well-known name, coach Sean Deitch, who remains unemployed after leaving Burnley in April, will be turned to.
Before heading to Deitch, Aston Villa may deal with former Arsenal boss Unai Emery, although he may choose to stay at Villarreal after turning down Newcastle last year.
