Aston Villa join three-way transfer tussle as Gerrard strives to complete 'promising' squad

A round-up of all the latest Aston Villa headlines on ...

Aston Villa are reported to have joined Premier League rivals Newcastle United, Everton and West Ham in the race to sign Espanyol striker Raúl de Tomás.

The 27-year-old forward signed for Espanyol from Benfica in a deal worth around £20.5m in January 2020, only for the club to suffer relegation shortly. However, his 23 goals in the Segunda Division helped fire Espanyol back into the top flight, and he continued to thrive in front of goal on his return to La Liga.

In all, De Tomas scored 17 goals and added a further three assists across 33 starts last term, prompting a number of Premier League clubs to start taking notice of his talents in front of goal. And according to Spanish outlet Fichajes, Villa have joined Everton, Newcastle and West Ham in seeking to seal a €35m (£30m) deal for the player.

Aston Villa look set to miss out on rumoured transfer target Sonny Perkins, with the striker’s move to Leeds United reportedly a “done deal”.

The 18-year-old left West Ham this summer after reaching the end of his contract at the London Stadium. Perkins made three appearances for David Moyes’s side last term, starting in the Europa League against Dinamo Zagreb, and scored 10 goals in 20 league games for West Ham's U23 side.

The striker rejected the Hammers’ offer of a professional contract, leading to a strongly-worded statement from the club once his deal finally expired. Last month, it was reported that both Villa and Leeds had “opened talks” with Perkins over a move.

Aston Villa hero Gabriel Agbonlahor has told Steven Gerrard to sign a striker who offers a physical presence up front.

Villa have already secured the permanent signings of Boubacar Kamara, Philippe