The Athletic's Gregg Evans has dropped some exciting transfer insight into Aston Villa starlet Lamare Bogarde.

What's the story?

Writing on Twitter, the journalist claimed: "#AVFC were in a rush to sign Lamare Bogarde before Brexit. #THFC #AFC #MCFC and #MUFC were all keen but Villa’s ‘project’ was too exciting to turn down. One year on and the 17-year-old is flying."

And, in a follow-up article for The Athletic, Evans added: "Tyrone Mings and Ezri Konsa have both taken the hard-working teenager under their wing. They immediately warmed to the bright, polite youngster and recognise his potential.

"The youngster is calm and composed in possession and likes to play out from the back. That he’s a regular for the under-23s and was given the captain’s armband last time out also says a lot about his transformation at Villa over the past two years. Still so young but gradually developing into the player Villa hoped they were getting when they went above and beyond to convince him that claret and blue was the future, Bogarde is maturing quicker than expected."

Villa fans will be buzzing

The 17-year-old joined from Dutch giants Feyernoord, and has been spending time with both the U23s and U18s in his time at the club.

Speaking after his arrival, academy manager Mark Harrison, raved: "We are delighted to welcome Lamare to the club. He is a player with immense potential and the commitment that will go in to fulfilling that starts now."

A holding midfielder by trade, but also capable of playing a little further forward and even further back as a central defender, the young Dutchman's versatility speaks volumes about his tactical intelligence.

And when you look at his record for Feyernoord's youth sides, you see someone who despite being a holding midfielder, can also be a threat going forward, notching two goals and providing four assists in 19 games for the U17s.

The fact that Evans has claimed that the likes of Arsenal, Manchester United and Manchester City, among others, were all interested in signing him, speaks volumes of the kind of esteem that some of the Premier League's heavyweights held him in.

Despite that interest, Bogarde made the switch to Villa Park, and as Evans says, found the Midlands club's project just too exciting to turn down - exactly the kind of statement and ambition that will have fans buzzing about the future.

Meanwhile, Aston Villa have another exciting academy starlet in this teenager...