It is believed Monk would relish the chance to help Villa rebuild, having spent 11 years at Swansea and aided their long-term development after joining as a player when they were in League Two.

Villa are weighing up their next move as they search for their fourth manager in 13 months, with Eric Black in charge for Saturday's visit of Chelsea.

Former Leicester boss Nigel Pearson and ex-Manchester United and Everton manager David Moyes are also in the frame.

Villa are 12 points from safety with just seven games left and appear destined to drop out of the top flight for the first time since 1987.

New board member David Bernstein, advisor Brian Little and ex-Football Association executive Adrian Bevington - who was appointed to help with the club's review this week - are reportedly in charge of finding a new boss, with Villa understood to be looking at someone with Championship experience.

Monk has not yet managed in the Championship but knows the league having captained the Swans to promotion via the play-offs in 2011 after joining when they were in the fourth tier in 2004. He also won the 2013 League Cup when they beat Bradford 5-0 at Wembley.

He made 270 appearances for the Welsh club, scoring seven goals, before becoming caretaker manager in February 2014, replacing Michael Laudrup.

He was appointed on a full-time basis in May 2014 and took the Swans to their highest-ever position a year later when they finished eighth in the Premier League.

Monk left the Liberty Stadium in December after 77 games, with the club 15th, following a run of one win in 11 matches.

Garde departed Villa by mutual consent on Tuesday and Frenchman won just three of his 23 games in charge having succeeded Tim Sherwood in November.

Sherwood's final match was a 2-1 defeat to Monk's Swansea side while Villa have not climbed off the bottom since Garde was appointed.

Meanwhile, Burnley boss Sean Dyche has distanced himself from speculation linking him to Villa.

"I don't take it lightly, it's a paper story. We know how that can work," he told the Lancashire Telegraph.

"We're making a good fist of what we can achieve here, that's my focus, it's the team's focus, we want to get Burnley in the Premier League.

"There's a lot of things said, a lot of angles, a lot of connections over nothing. My focus is here."

Villa number two Reginald Ray also left the club on Thursday after his compensation package was agreed.

The former Bastia coach was brought in by Garde last year but, with Black in caretaker charge, he has cut ties with the strugglers.

Under-21 boss Kevin MacDonald is expected to help Black with first-team duties having also been in temporary charge earlier this season when Sherwood was dismissed.