According to reports in the English media, Aston Villa have had an offer accepted for highly rated Lille midfielder Idrissa Gueye, as Tim Sherwood looks to strengthen his squad ahead of the upcoming season.
Competition
Gueye, 25, has been the subject of a number of offers from clubs around Europe this summer, with Villa's fellow Premier League clubs Crystal Palace, West Ham and Southampton all interested in the Senegal international.
Ligue 1 side Marseille looked to be closing in on a deal for the centre midfielder earlier this week when they lodged a £7 million bid, believing that the attraction of staying in France would sway Gueye to them.
However, this sparked bids from a host of other clubs, with Villa reportedly submitting a £9 million offer, that has been accepted by the French club, allowin Villa to enter contract talks with the player.
This has led to both Lille and Gueye being force to reconsider their position over the move, as they search for the right solution for all parties involved.
Player profile
Gueye plays as a more defensively minded central midfielder, which could compliment the likes of Fabian Delph, who enjoy getting forward. However, he could be viewed as a possible replacement for Delph, who had been himself linked with a move to Manchester City.
He's made 135 appearances to Lille over the past five years, becoming something of a fan favourite in the process thanks to his combative play in midfield.
Current Mali coach Alain Giresse, who used to coach Gueye for Senegal, had this to say on him: "Gueye has stature, he has a good sense of anticipation and responds quickly. He is precise in his use of the ball and has started to add goals to his game too. In the dressing room, he is quiet and discreet, he has a good state of mind, he is a competitor."
Funding
Villa aren't a club with huge financial power, meaning they often have to look for cheaper deals when buying players, which means that spending around £10 million on a player relatively unknown outside of France could come as a surprise.
However, funds could soon be heavily available, if Christian Benteke moves away from Villa Park this summer.
The Belgian striker has been heavily linked with moves to Liverpool and Tottenham in recent months, although Villa are refusing to sell him for anything less than his £32.5 million release clause.
Gueye would potentially become Villa's second signing of the transfer window, after defender Micah Richards joined on a free transfer.
Elsewhere, they've been linked with moves for Asmir Begovic and Tom Huddlestone, whilst a bid of £1.3 million for Ajax full-back Nicolai Boilesen was reportedly rejected last week.