Villa are the latest Premier League side to be linked with highly rated centre-back Ronnie Edwards.
The 19 year old was the standout performer for Peterborough United, despite Posh ultimately being relegated to League 1.
If Villa want to make a move for the youngster, they will need to commit a substantial fee, reported to be in the region of £10m.
There will also be a battle to sign Edwards, with a host of top-flight clubs interested in securing the defenders signature. Manchester United, Crystal Palace, Southampton and Spurs are known admirers.
Embed from Getty ImagesVilla are in the midst of another refresh of a squad that finished a disappointing 14th last season. The focus so far has been defensive reinforcements, with centre-half Diego Carlos and DM Boubacar Kamara already through the doors at Bodymoor Heath.
Villa do have previous for acquiring hot prospects in the domestic game. Indeed, the club snapped up then 16 year old defender Josh Feeney from Fleetwood Town in similar fashion last summer.
If Villa are successful in securing Edwards, it will be interesting to see if he joins Villa’s squad or heads out on loan. For now we will have to watch and wait as to where Edwards ends up, which could include staying put given that he is under contract until 2025.
One thing is for sure though, that Edwards will represent England U-19’s at the upcoming European Championships, giving further opportunity to scrutinise the youngsters ability before any potential big money move.
In other defensive news, Villa’s interest in James Tarkowski appears to have cooled, whilst a surprise rumour linking Tyrone Mings to Newcastle United has emerged.