Aston Villa are set to secure a deal for Brazil Under-23 captain Douglas Luiz on a permanent transfer from Manchester City, according to the Telegraph.
The 21-year-old made the switch to England from Vasco da Gama in Brazil during the summer of 2017, but has yet to make an appearance for Manchester City at senior level.
Luiz, who was denied a work permit to remain at the Etihad last summer, has impressed during his two-year loan stint with Girona in La Liga.
And it is now claimed the midfielder is poised to secure a permanent transfer away from Manchester City, amidst interest from newly-promoted Aston Villa.
Dean Smith has been busy during the ongoing summer transfer window and wants to strengthen his options in midfield, after the departures of Glenn Whelan and Mile Jedinak this summer.
As such, Aston Villa are poised to complete a £15m move to snap up Luiz from Manchester City ahead of the upcoming season.
Manchester City are believed to have inserted a buy-back clause in the deal for Luiz.
Aston Villa have also been linked with a move for Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips and it remains to be seen whether they continue to track him, even after the addition of Luiz to their ranks.
Luiz notched up 29 appearances, including the 2-1 win over Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu, in all competitions for Girona last season.
