Journalist confirms Derby County and Aston Villa transfer agreement has been sealed

Derby County forward Omari Kellyman has left the second-tier side to link up with Premier League outfit Aston Villa, according to The Sun journalist Alan Nixon.

It was reported by The Athletic in the early stages of last month that the two sides had agreed a fee for the Northern Irishman with personal terms also being agreed, though the deal had yet to be finalised at that point.

The Rams have been forced to cash in on a number of their players in recent months with Graeme Shinnie being sold to Wigan Athletic, Luke Plange heading to Crystal Palace and now Kamil Jozwiak set to link up with MLS club Charlotte for a fee believed to be in excess of £1m.

This sale has been utilised in helping to prove to the EFL that they have sufficient to make it through the remainder of the 2021/22 campaign despite still being in the clutches of administration.

And it now seems as if Kellyman has officially joined Steven Gerrard’s men, with the West Midlands side investing heavily in their youth system in recent months as they have poached many hot prospects from other sides.

He is just one of several promising youngsters Wayne Rooney’s side have been forced to cash in on, with Plange’s move to Crystal Palace and Dylan Williams’ transfer to Chelsea during the winter window also proving to be major blows.

The Verdict:

Despite appearing on the bench for the East Midlands outfit this term, he didn’t manage to win a first-team appearance and this perhaps softens the blow of this departure, with Kellyman not exactly establishing himself as a key first-teamer.

With Jack Stretton also available as a young forward option and perhaps ahead of the Northern Irishman in the pecking order at this stage, perhaps some won’t be too bothered to see him go,