Aston Villa close in on £17million Bertrand Traore deal
Villa will aim to push through a deal for Lyon forward Bertrand Traore after completing the £20million signing of goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez.
The 28-year-old is poised to join from Arsenal after agreeing a four-year deal at Villa Park.
Martinez will become Dean Smith’s third signing of the transfer window, with Traore on course to become the fourth after Villa agreed a fee of around £17m with Lyon for the former Chelsea man.
Traore is expected to travel to the Midlands for a medical and to finalise personal terms during the early part of the week.
The 25-year-old has spent the past three seasons in France and can play anywhere across the forward line.
Villa’s business will not end there and talks have continued with Werder Bremen over a deal for Milot Rashica.
Smith has tracked Kosovo international Rashica for some time but a deal looked unlikely until RB Leipzig, his long-time suitors, cooled their interest.
There is now an increasing expectation he will join Villa for a fee of around £18million.
Martinez travelled to Birmingham on Saturday afternoon after Villa agreed a fee with Arsenal for his services.
The Argentine earned rave reviews for his performances after replacing the injured Bernd Leno for the closing weeks of last season.
But with Leno fit again, Gunners boss Mikel Arteta was unable to offer any assurances over first-team football.
Villa are still without Tom Heaton through injury, meaning Martinez is likely to start their first Premier League match against Sheffield United a week today and will get the chance to stake his claim for the No.1 jersey.
His arrival will mean Villa have signed at least one goalkeeper in each of the last five transfer windows.
Jed Steer started Saturday’s 1-0 friendly win over Manchester United and is likely to be kept as back-up, though Lovre Kalinic and Orjan Nyland will be allowed to leave before next month’s deadline.
