Aston Villa have been heavily linked with a move for Aaron Hickey, and after a new update emerged on the player's future, the Midlands club may need to ramp up their interest if they intend to sign the defender this summer.

What's the latest?

According to the Daily Mail, Brentford have now approached Bologna with a view to signing the Scottish left-back.

The report claimed that Newcastle United, Arsenal and Aston Villa are also interested in the player but will now need to act upon their interest to beat the west Londoners to the signing of Hickey during the transfer window.

Gerrard's Andy Robertson

With Matt Targett moving to Newcastle on a permanent deal this week, there is an opportunity for Steven Gerrard to sign Hickey and unearth his very own Andy Robertson at Villa Park next season.

The youngster, who has been compared to the £58.5m-rated Liverpool and Scotland left-back by sections of the media, has been attracting attention from Premier League clubs for his impressive performances in Serie A with Bologna.

As per SofaScore, the 20-year-old scored five goals, contributed one assist and created two big chances this season, making 1.3 tackles and one clearance per game. He also won the majority of his ground and aerial duels combined (57%) and successfully completed the majority of his dribbles (61%).

The youngster was called a "special talent" by his former Hearts coach Daniel Stendel, who said (via Daily Record): "Aaron was by far the most interesting player in my squad and the one who had the greatest potential.

"He reads the game very well and was lightning fast at reacting to things on the pitch. All of that makes him a special talent."

According to Birmingham Mail, the Villains are now prioritising the signing of a left-back, so it would be a great piece of business for Gerrard if he can seal a deal for Hickey this summer, as the youngster could make a great impact and add depth to Villa's defence ahead of next season.

However, now that Brentford have made an official approach for the 20-year-old, Villa will need to act fast if they want to complete the signing of the Scottish youngster. Otherwise, they risk missing out on the player and would need to look elsewhere to fill a position that they need to cover.

AND in other news - "Official proposal...": Romano drops big Villa transfer update, supporters will love it