Dean Smith has wasted little time stamping his authority at Aston Villa by laying down the law over transfers.
Former Brentford boss Smith was appointed as the new Aston Villa manager following the departure of former boss Steve Bruce, who was sacked after a run of one win in 10 matches.
Villa are currently 15th in the Sky Bet Championship, just six points above the relegation places, but Smith believes he can guide the club back to the Premier League in his first season at Villa Park.
He will be assisted by John Terry and Richard O’Kelly but Villa chief executive Christian Purslow has also been keen to talk up the influence he hopes newly appointed sporting director Jesus Garcia Pitarch will have, particularly regarding transfers.
When asked if Smith will be able to add to his squad, Purslow said: “Absolutely,” as reported by Sky Sports.
“A critical third appointment, which we announced last week, was the appointment of our new sporting director – Jesus Garcia Pitarch.
“Jesus has enormous experience at two major Spanish clubs, Valencia and Atletico Madrid, in a sporting director capacity.
“I expect Dean, Jesus and myself in the next four to eight weeks to listen to Dean’s initial assessment of the squad, as he sees it.
“We’ll talk and build a plan for the rest of the season and the future. If that includes players joining and leaving in January, then that will be absolutely fine.”
But when pressed by Sky Sports News in an interview after his unveiling at a press conference on Tuesday, Smith made it clear would be calling the shots on transfers.
“Yes there will be a discussion but ultimately I’ll have to make the decision,” Smith told Sky Sports News.
“You don’t want players brought in that are not going to be used.”
It was a diplomatic but clear message over who is in charge when it comes to the players Villa will be bringing in.
Smith has been at pains to bang the drum about how important it is to recruit the right players with good attitudes.
He told The Sun: “You have to be on top of your game in recruitment and sign potential. When I sign a player, it’s all about attitude.
“They’ve got to be talented — but talent is just one thing. They must have a great attitude.
“There are gems to find without breaking the bank.
“What I loved at Brentford was every day I walked into the training ground, every single person — whether it be a player, staff member, owner or board member — wanted to get better.”
What Smith doesn’t want is those above him in the boardroom signing players without his blessing and stinking out the Villa dressing room with a bad attitude.
The new Aston Villa boss is right to set his stall out early so everyone knows where they stand.
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