Aston Villa are set to be handed a major transfer boost as the Birmingham Mail are reporting that the Villans are on the verge of signing Yannick Bolasie and Anwar El Ghazi ahead of tonight's Championship clash with their bogey side Brentford.
It has been a remarkable turnaround from Villa during the course of a turbulent summer transfer window that saw them struggling financially and facing up to the possibility of selling star player Jack Grealish, before major investment saved them from potential disaster and manager Steve Bruce is now able to strengthen a squad that has been left thin on the ground following the departures of the likes of John Terry, Robert Snodgrass and Sam Johnstone.
According to the Birmingham Mail, wingers Bolasie and El Ghazi have agreed to join the club ahead of this evening's clash with Brentford at Villa Park, with an announcement from the club expected in due course.
Bolasie has reportedly snubbed Middlesbrough in favour of a loan move to Villa following a disappointing two-year spell that has yielded just 29 Premier League appearances with Everton, while Dutch international, El Ghazi, is set to arrive from cash-strapped French club Lille after scoring six goals and laying on four assists in 44 appearances for the Ligue 1 side.
The signings are a welcome boost to the squad, although it is clear that Villa could do with a couple more additions as they are still lightweight in the centre of defence, where makeshift centre-back Mile Jedinak and the injury-prone Tommy Elphick have failed to convince alongside James Chester. Meanwhile, Villa are believed to be in the market for another striker too and Tammy Abraham has been linked with a loan move from Chelsea.
*UPDATE: Villa have confirmed the signing of El Ghazi and Bolasie was pictured at Villa Park during Villa's match against Brentford, with a proposed move set to be completed in due course.
The home fans at Villa Park on Wednesday night will no doubt be buoyed by the flurry of transfer activity and the Villans are protecting a fine record on home soil, where they have lost just one of their last 17 league games (won 11, drawn five).
However, Villa have struggled horribly against the Bees in the past as they are winless in four meetings (drawn two, lost two) since they were relegated from the Premier League and each of their last two home games against the London club have ended in draws.
Head-To-Head Results:
- 14th September 2016 - Championship - Aston Villa 1-1 Brentford
- 31st January 2017 - Championship - Brentford 3-0 Aston Villa
- 9th September 2017 - Championship - Aston Villa 0-0 Brentford
- 26th December 2017 - Championship - Brentford 2-1 Aston Villa
Both teams have taken seven points from their first three games of this season, although Dean Smith's men are in particularly good touch as they have lost just one of their last 12 Championship fixtures (won six, drawn five) stretching back to last season and their French starlet, Neal Maupay, has been in sensational form this term. The 22-year-old has scored three goals and laid on three assists during a spell that has seen him directly involved in six of Brentford's eight league goals so far, and he will be the man to watch as Brentford bid to enhance a superb record in fixtures with Villa.
