Aston Villa are in talks to appoint Pal Fjelde as their new set-piece coach as Unai Emery continues to reshape his backroom staff ahead of the new season.
The 32-year-old is currently working with Burnley and the Norway national team and has emerged as Villa’s preferred candidate to replace Austin MacPhee.
Jacob Tanswell reports that Villa are now in talks with Fjelde, with an agreement expected to see him leave Burnley if negotiations are completed.
MacPhee departed Villa last month after Chelsea triggered a clause in his contract.
Aston Villa set-piece coach search moves forward
Villa had been without a specialist set-piece coach throughout their pre-season tour of Asia following MacPhee’s unexpected exit.
The Scot had spent five years at the club and worked under Dean Smith, Steven Gerrard and Emery before moving to Stamford Bridge.
ReadAstonVilla reported when MacPhee agreed to join Chelsea, with his departure regarded as a significant change to Emery’s coaching setup.
Fjelde would now arrive with experience at both club and international level.
Burnley appointed the Norwegian as their set-piece specialist in July 2025 after he had worked as an assistant coach at Viborg in Denmark. He has also been part of Norway’s coaching staff since 2022.
His work with Norway continued during their run to the World Cup quarter-finals this summer.
Fjelde previously worked within the coaching structures at Bryne and Viking before moving to Denmark and then England.
His potential arrival would represent another change behind the scenes at Villa. This dynamic is closely followed by fans, analysts, and the online sports betting market ahead of the new campaign.
Chema Sanz has already replaced Pako Ayestarán as one of Emery’s assistants, while individual player coach Rodri has left the club for Como.
Villa have moved quickly to identify a replacement for MacPhee and talks with Fjelde suggest that process is now entering its final stages.
No agreement has yet been announced, but the Burnley coach appears to be the leading candidate to take responsibility for Villa’s set-piece work.
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