Aston Villa close in on £150,000 deal for Linfield sensation Cole Brannigan - report
Aston Villa are set to complete the £150,000 signing of 16-year-old Cole Brannigan from Linfield, according to a report by the Belfast Telegraph.
Villa are set to back Unai Emery with a handful of new signings over January, but the first deal done since the Spaniard's appointment could well be a teenage academy star.
Brannigan, who plays for the Northern Ireland Under-16s, has caught the eye at Linfield and is viewed as a future star. The winger has been monitored by Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea and Leeds United, but the Belfast Telegraph report that Villa are the current frontrunners for his signature.
The report states that Villa will pay around £150,000 plus add-ons for Brannigan, with a deal expected to be completed for the summer transfer window.
One for the future
Brannigan obviously isn't a signing Villa are making to go straight into Emery's plans, but it's promising that the club are thoroughly scouting for hidden gems.
Linfield has been a conveyer belt for young talent in recent seasons, with Callum Marshall and Josh Briggs making a move to West Ham in recent months, while Ruairi McConville is joining Brighton.
Scouts have clearly been impressed by what they've seen over in Nothern Ireland, and Villa are willing to put their faith in Brannigan to break his way through to the first team.
Emery will no doubt splash the cash on a number of ready-made stars in January and next summer, but the Spaniard will also have half an eye on promising young stars at the club who are ready to test their skills in the first team.
After making a high-profile move to Villa, Brannigan's progress will likely be closely followed by the media and coaches at the club. While that does add a lot of pressure to the 16-year-old, it also gives him the chance to easily draw attention to his performances.
In other Aston Villa news, Unai Emery has shared a heart-to-heart conversation with Philippe Coutinho over his Aston Villa career