Aston Villa transfer news: Unai Emery 'getting closer' to centre-back signing despite £24m rejected offer

Aston Villa are allegedly assured that they volition yet finalise the signing of Southampton defender Taylor Harwood-Bellis.

On Sunday, the West Midlands outfit produced 1 of their worst performances nether Unai Emery, conceding 4 goals crossed the opening 31 minutes to suffer 4-0 astatine Brighton & Hove Albion.

With that setback coming conscionable 2 days aft Ezri Konsa near for Arsenal and with Ollie Watkins seemingly continuing to propulsion for an exit, Emery has been near progressively hopeless for caller additions.

Signing astatine slightest 1 caller cardinal defender is the priority, and Villa were linked with a player implicit the play who precocious made an content astatine the World Cup.

However, arsenic per Sky Sport Deutschland writer Florian Plettenberg, Villa stay keen connected adding Harwood-Bellis to their ranks.

What is Harwood-Bellis, Aston Villa situation?

The study alleges that Southampton person rejected a connection for the England planetary worthy £24m.

That connection is said to person been a £20m guaranteed interest with a further £4m coming successful add-ons.

Nevertheless, with negotiations continuing, it is suggested that determination is 'a feeling' that the clubs are moving person to reaching an agreement.

With Harwood-Bellis being near retired of the Southampton XI against Stoke City implicit the weekend, it appears that a merchantability remains a realistic possibility.

There are 2 years remaining connected the declaration of the 24-year-old, who is anxious to instrumentality the accidental to play Premier League football.

Despite his presumption arsenic an England planetary Harwood-Bellis has lone ever play 34 games successful the apical flight.

Could Aston Villa motion 2 centre-backs?

Pau Torres, Victor Lindelof, Tyrone Mings and Modou Keba Cisse are Emery's existent centre-back options.

At this constituent successful time, the unproven Keba Cisse is seemingly successful enactment to stay with the first-team squad aft starring for Austrian champions LASK Linz past season.

With Villa besides needing to fortify different areas of the pitch, Emery whitethorn beryllium restricted to signing conscionable the 1 centre-back, and the content is that Harwood-Bellis would beryllium little costly than Ordonez.

Much could beryllium connected whether Mings remains astatine Villa Park, oregon if determination is immoderate precocious involvement successful Torres who has already publically revealed that he wants to instrumentality to Villarreal astatine the extremity of his declaration successful 2028.