One transfer which likely won’t materialise now is a deal for Hellas Verona winger Cyril Ngonge, who is edging closer to completing a move to Serie A champions Napoli. According to journalist Fabrizio Romano, Ngonge has ‘completed’ medical tests to join Gli Azzurri and is set to sign a contract with the club.

Villa is also being linked to Nedeljkovic’s Red Star Belgrade teammate, Jovan Mijatovic, as they look to beat Premier League rivals Manchester City to the signature of the 18-year-old forward. According to journalist Franceso Guerrieri, Emery’s side is ‘negotiating’ for the transfer with a fee in the region of £5.9m (plus £1.7m in add-ons) being quoted for the player.

BirminghamLive says: Villa being linked with a forward is interesting given the uncertainty regarding Jhon Duran’s future at the moment. If Mijatovic were to arrive, it may ease the loss of Duran. Mijatovic has made 24 first-team appearances in the league for the Serbian champions, scoring nine goals and adding a further three assists. He’s another exciting prospect and would likely be happy to play as backup for Ollie Watkins.