Aston Villa begin 'direct negotiations' for transfer as loan 'enquiry' made
Aston Villa will take a break from their top four push in the Premier League when they host West Ham in the FA Cup on Friday night (kick-off: 8pm).
Unai Emery's side continue to compete domestically and in Europe, but they may look to dip into the Janaury transfer market to strengthen their squad.
And reports in L'Equipe have claimed that Villa have started direct negotiations with Ligue 2’s Caen to sign Tidiam Gomes. The 18-year-old's contract will end in the summer with it said that Villa want to take advantage by starting initial negotiations with Caen’s leadership about a deal.
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The forward has scored two goals and provided two assists in Ligue 2 across 19 appearances so far this season. No mention of a fee for the talented Frenchman has been made, but the report claims that Villa are advancing and have opened formal talks about a deal.
It is also said that Villa’s hierarchy are keen on the youth market in France and have shown increased interest in recent weeks.
Elsewhere, the same publication claim that Villa have enquired about the loan signing of PSG star Milan Skriniar. It is claimed that Skriniar's agency is currently in the French capital to find a way out of the Parc des Princes for the Slovakian centre-back.
The report claims that Skriniar has decided to leave PSG in Janaury, with Tottenham also said to be interested. Other interest reportedly comes from Turkish giants Galatasaray and Seria A side Napoli.
PSG are also reportedly keen to include an option with Villa to make Skriniar's loan deal permanent. The 29-year-old could potentially be signed as a replacement for Diego Carlos who has been linked with a move away from Villa Park.
