Aston Villa closing in on a deal for former Chelsea forward

Premier League side Aston Villa look to beat domestic rivals Fulham to the signing of Lyon star Bertrand Traore with a £20 million swoop on the pipeline. 

According to reports in France, the former Chelsea attacker is on standby to fly in to England and is desperate to earn a second chance to prove himself in the Premier League. 

The 25-year-old is said to be keen to play in the Premier League after being left in the shadows at the Blues. The speedster was sent out on loan to Vitesse and Ajax during his three years at Stamford Bridge. 

Aston Villa have money for more signings and are keen to land a player who can go wide and create goals as well as score. The Midlanders can also come up with the right terms to tempt Traore but are yet to agree a fee with Lyon. 

Should the Lions manage to bring the Burkina Faso international to Villa Park, they will certainly get a massive upgrade on any of the wingers they currently have at their disposal. 

Dean Smith has already brought in Ollie Watkins to spearhead his attack in a club-record signing for a fee around £33 million. 

Watkins tore up the Championship with 25 goals last season as Brentford narrowly missed out on promotion losing to Fulham in the playoffs final. 

Villa manager Smith is also chasing a deal for Arsenal back-up goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez to add another solid option between the sticks. 

The Argentine stopper thrived at the end of last season after coming in to replace injured Arsenal number one Bernd Leno. And the Villans are hoping to complete a £20 million deal for the FA Cup final and FA Community Shield hero.

Featured image credits - Goal