Aston Villa have sacked director of football Steve Round, reportedly leaving manager Steve Bruce to negotiate the club's transfer dealings on his own.

Owner Dr Tony Xia took the surprise decision to swing the axe on Wednesday morning, ending Round's two-year tenure at Villa Park.

The news comes in the wake of speculation that the English Football League is looking into the cash-strapped outfit's new management structure after voicing concerns at the lack of football knowledge.

According to The Telegraph, Bruce is now tasked with all incoming and outgoing activity in the transfer window as chief executive Keith Wyness was also let go at the end of last season.

However, the report indicates that the experienced campaigner has no intention of walking away from the position that he has held since October 2016.