Aston Villa have shown over the past few years that they aren't shy when it comes to securing transfers for players from fellow Premier League clubs.

The likes of Danny Ings, Calum Chambers and Emi Martinez, among others, have all made moves to Villa Park from other top-flight teams.

Now that the Villans are in the midst of yet another summer transfer window, this period could give them the opportunity to continue their track record of signing players with whom they are familiar from facing in league action.

One Premier League player who has been mentioned with a move to Steven Gerrard's side this time around is West Ham United midfielder Tomas Soucek.

After initially joining the east London club on loan from Slavia Prague in January 2020, the midfielder secured a permanent transfer the following summer on a four-year deal worth €21m (£18m).

Overall, the 27-year-old has made 101 appearances for David Moyes' side across all competitions, scoring 18 goals and providing two assists along the way.

Another Premier League midfielder who is included on a list of similar players to Soucek according to Football Transfers is Chelsea's N'Golo Kante.

Bearing in mind how the Frenchman has won multiple trophies for club and country, along with numerous individual awards, this shows the pedigree of the Stamford Bridge stalwart.

To compare the duo from their previous domestic campaigns, both players ended the season with more than 100 tackles and interceptions combined, highlighting how impressive they both are without the ball and how capable they are at winning it back.

Labelled a "huge" player for West Ham by Jamie Carragher, Soucek has also been hailed as "magnificent" by Trevor Sinclair regarding the defensive work that he puts in for his team.

Taking all this into account, the prospect of Gerrard having his own version of Kante at Villa in the shape of the Czech Republic star could be a very exciting prospect for everyone connected with the Midlands club.

With a reported price tag of £40m, securing a deal for the West Ham machine could be a very smart bit of business for Villa and something that they should definitely explore before the transfer window closes.

AND in other news: Reliable journalist claims Villa move would be "attractive" for 6 foot 1 "rock", Gerrard will love it