Aston Villa set to lodge £18m bid for Werder Bremen forward Milot Rashica as club turn attentions to long-term target as part of spending spree
Aston Villa have made a move for long-term target Milot Rashica and are expected to make an £18million bid for the Werder Bremen player.
Rashica, 24, is a wide attacker - a priority for boss Dean Smith - and is likely to leave the Bundesliga club during this window, having asked for a move last month.
Werder's Bundesliga rivals Red Bull Leipzig also have a long-standing interest in him.
Aston Villa are set to offer £18m to sign long-term target Milot Rashica from Werder Bremen
The Kosovo international registered eight goals and seven assists in the league for Werder last term and has been on Villa's radar for some time.
He is a versatile player who can operate anywhere across the attacking line.
Werder director Marco Bode said last month: 'We are not naive and take into account that Milot won't play for us for the whole of next year.'
The Kosovo international netted eight goals last season and is expected to leave this summer
Dean Smith has been heavily backed after Villa broke their club record to snap up Ollie Watkins
Villa, who begin the season against Sheffield United a week on Monday, have already broken their club record to sign striker Ollie Watkins for a possible £33m from Brentford, and added £16m right-back Matty Cash from Nottingham Forest.
Smith also hopes to sign goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez from Arsenal for about £17.5m and would also like to sign a new central midfielder.
With these additions planned, a number of players are likely to be allowed to leave if the right offer arrives, including goalkeepers Orjan Nyland and Lovre Kalinic, defenders Frederic Guilbert and Bjorn Engels, midfielder Marvelous Nakamba and forwards Anwar El Ghazi, Mbwana Samatta and Scott Hogan.