Aston Villa have already agreed their first signing of the January transfer window, with the teenager expected to arrive next week to undergo a medical and finalise the deal, according to a fresh report.
Aston Villa set for busy January window
Though the January transfer window is yet to open, Aston Villa and Unai Emery have already lined up plenty of business.
The Premier League side have already announced plans to recall Louie Barry from Stockport, where he was leading the League One goalscoring charts. It is expected that the young forward will head out on loan once more, though at a higher level amid interest from across the Championship in his services.
Currently sixth in the Premier League, Villa are keen to bolster their ranks in a bid to compete across both England’s top flight and the Champions League, with the club well-placed to progress to the next round of Europe’s elite competition.
To that end, they have reportedly shown an interest in signing yet more firepower, with Greek striker Stefanos Tzimas among those that Emery’s side are keeping a close eye on.
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Now though, they appear to have reached an agreement at the other end of the pitch.
Aston Villa agree deal to sign talent
That is according to a fresh report out of Turkey, which claims that the Villans have agreed a deal worth €8m (£6.6m) to sign teenage centre-back Yasin Ozcan from Super Lig side Kasimpasa.
As per the report, Ozcan “will travel to England in the first week of January to undergo medical checks” after the two clubs “reached an agreement” for the defender.
Ozcan has started all 16 games for Kasimpasa this season, and is considered an elite future talent, with Talent Scout Jacek Kulig describing him as a “highly talented LCB” and “the future of Turkish football”, before adding elsewhere that Ozcan was a “quick, tenacious CB with superb timing and sharp reactions”.
|
Yasin Ozcan this season |
|
|---|---|
|
Appearances |
16 |
|
Goals and assists |
1 |
|
Yellow Cards |
3 |
|
Clean sheets |
5 |
Though his £5,200 a week deal in Turkey runs until 2029, it appears that Villa have moved swiftly to tie up a deal amid major interest from clubs across Europe, and could well have the deal completed in the first week of the New Year.
It remains unclear whether they intend to use Ozcan immediately, or whether or not Emery’s side will look to loan him out in order for him to gain additional first team experience.
Ozcan has already made 76 senior appearances to date, but with both Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres already at Emery’s disposal to cover at left centre-back. Though he can also play at left-back, Villa are also well covered in that role, meaning a loan move for the remainder of the campaign may be sensible to ensure that his progress is not stunted by a spell on the sidelines at Villa Park.
Villa have been targeting talent from the Turkish top flight for some time, with the club also tipped to make an offer for Besiktas talent Semih Kilicsoy in the January window. For now though, they appear set to welcome Ozcan to Villa Park in the days to come.