OLLIE WATKINS

A surprise link for Villa is that of Exeter’s promising attacker Ollie Watkins.

The 21 year old has been in good form this season, helping Exeter on a 10 game unbeaten run which sees them just inside the League 2 playoods.  This has attracted interest and bids from a number of sides.

Derby & Brentford, both in the Championship are known admirers.

Despite having a contract ending in summer 2017, Villa may need to act now if they wish to sign him up.  Watkins can play as centre forward, supporting a main striker & on either the left or right.

2016/17 Stats:

• Games 29
• Goals 10
• Assists 9

JACOB BEDEAU

Villa have been tracking Bury’s highly rated centre half Bedeau since the early part of the transfer window.

A fee in excess of £750k has been agreed – but the terms of any deal are not yet finalised.

Bury have accepted that Bedeau is destined to leave them, with Villa Park all but certainly being the destination.

However, Bury’s head coach is hopeful that he can negotiate with Villa to keep the 17 year old at Gigg Lane until the summer.

There may be some mileage in that, with Under-23 football coming in for reasonable scrutiny for it’s lack of quality and competitive edge.  Villa may yet opt to allow the defender to develop and learn in the third tier.

Any agreement is subject to a successful medical being completed on Monday, ahead of Tuesday’s transfer window deadline.

Read more about Bedeau here.

JORDAN RHODES

The latest “will he, won’t he” of the transfer window continues.

So much remains at play here.

Does Rhodes want to drop down a division?  Would he even be the right man or one which Villa need?

And what about the Jack Grealish swap dilemma?  Whilst we would all love him to stay and flourish at Villa Park, if we want Rhodes that badly, nothing is off the table.

Let’s face it, stranger things have happened.

So much seems to also hinge on whether Middlesbrough lose Ramirez to Leicester City.  This would likely stall any more strikers leaving Teeside during this window, assuming no immediate replacement could be lined up.

Sheffield Wednesday are the only other interested party, but it remains to be seen whether they could lure Rhodes or match Middlesbrough’s £10m+ valuaton.