Aston Villa find themselves in a fantastic position ahead of the Sky Bet Championship run-in, with promotion a real possibility.

Steve Bruce has led his side into the top-six, with promotion his sole focus between now and the end of the season, as he looks to end Villa’s Championship nightmare.

In the summer, Villa will be busy, whether they are a Championship club or achieve a Premier League return.

The squad Bruce has built at Villa is good, but far from perfect, which will need to be addressed next season.

One area where Villa could do with something different is central midfield, where Bruce has chopped and changed a lot.

Birkir Bjarnason has handed himself a lifeline at Villa Park, but, in the summer, might not be a player Bruce takes forward, as he hasn’t full earned the trust of his manager.

With that in mind, we take a look at FOUR midfielders we believe would be an upgrade on the Icelandic international…

Livermore might only be a player that Villa can sign if they are a Premier League outfit, but there is little doubt he’d be an upgrade on Bjarnason.

The West Brom midfielder is a good passer and has plenty of experience.

Lee has been terrific for Sheffield Wednesday in recent years and has been sorely missed this year when he’s been injured.

At the base of Villa’s midfield, Lee would help get the best out of Jack Grealish, just as he has with Fernando Forestieri in the past.

Coutts was magnificent for Sheffield United prior to his season-ending injury, helping to put the Blades into promotion contention.

He has been missed since then and when he returns, it remains to be seen whether he can hit the same heights.

On previous form, Coutts would be an upgrade on Bjarnason in central midfield.

This is a controversial one, as Onomah hasn’t impressed on-loan at Villa Park this season, with Bjarnason a lot more consistent.

However, Onomah has age on his side and given another chance, could excel after finding his feet at Villa Park.

In the long-term, Onomah could be a huge upgrade.