Alan Nixon claims Villa are “going to sign” highly-coveted gem, he’s a “real talent” - opinion

Aston Villa were particularly busy throughout the recent January transfer window when it came to making changes to their senior squad with some new faces brought in and some current players moved out.

Even though the window has now closed, it seems as though Villa are set to welcome a new face to the Midlands club in their youth ranks.

According to a recent Twitter post from journalist Alan Nixon, Villa are “going to sign” 16-year-old Derby County youth striker Omari Kellyman, who Nixon described as being a “real talent” for a fee of around £500k.

As well as securing deals for the likes of Lucas Digne, Calum Chambers, Robin Olsen and Philippe Coutinho to strengthen Steven Gerrard’s side, Villa also brought in 17-year-old defender Kerr Smith from Dundee United to embed him in their U23 side.

This apparent move for Kellyman seems to be in a similar vein as their swoop for Kerr, showing that not only are Villa’s owners interested in making Gerrard’s first-team stronger, but also improving their youth sides and bringing in players that could potentially grow into future senior players.

The Midlands club have become renowned for blooding young talent with Jack Grealish eventually being sold for £100m after coming through the academy and now Jacob Ramsey making his mark at senior level.

According to a report from The Athletic, Kellyman is a “central striker who can also play as a number 10 or second striker. In a talented Derby U16 side, he has arguably been the brightest spark,” which just goes to show how highly coveted he is and why Villa have been quick to bring him to the club.

With that in mind, it seems as though Gerrard will have a really exciting prospect on their hands once they get the youngster through the door at