Aston Villa are closing in on a deal for Aaron Wan-Bissaka from West Ham United after productive discussions between the clubs.
The 28-year-old defender was omitted from West Ham’s squad for their Championship encounter with Burnley on Sunday, with uncertainty surrounding his future. He also sat out their Carabao Cup match against Portsmouth the previous week.
BirminghamLive has learned that Villa are anticipated to secure Wan-Bissaka’s signature following encouraging negotiations on Tuesday. Unai Emery’s team have agreed to a one-year loan arrangement with a contingent purchase clause for the following campaign.
West Ham have sanctioned his travel for a medical examination, having previously sought in excess of £20million for the defender.
The DR Congo international has spent the past two seasons at the London Stadium following his £15million transfer from Manchester United. During that period, Wan-Bissaka has accumulated 65 appearances across all competitions, finding the net twice.
He featured in the West Ham squad that suffered relegation from the Premier League last term, though he was only given starting opportunities in two of their final seven fixtures, with Kyle Walker-Peters chosen ahead of him.
Wan-Bissaka will vie with Matty Cash for the primary right-back position as Villa prepare for campaigns in both the Premier League and Champions League this season.
Alongside Wan-Bissaka’s potential arrival, Villa are pursuing Bayern Munich midfielder Joao Palhinha after sporting director Max Eberl confirmed the club would sanction a loan fee.
Bayern are eager to offload Palhinha permanently during this transfer window, though few clubs have shown willingness to pursue such a permanent arrangement. The 31-year-old former Fulham player, who impressed during a loan spell at Tottenham last season, is desirous of returning to the Premier League with Villa, and Bayern are cognisant of his wishes.
Kosta Nedeljkovic is anticipated to depart for Rangers, creating room for Wan-Bissaka in the squad following Andres Garcia’s earlier loan switch to Getafe.
Atletico Madrid’s Matteo Ruggeri and Parma goalkeeper Zion Suzuki are both poised to be announced as Villa’s fourth and fifth summer acquisitions shortly, as Emery persists in bolstering his roster.
The club commence their Premier League season with a visit to Brighton on Sunday, before welcoming champions Arsenal to Villa Park and then travelling to newly-promoted Hull City.