Fabrizio Romano has dropped a gutting transfer update on Aston Villa target Pape Sarr.

What's the story?

Reports in recent weeks and months had suggested that Dean Smith's side are interested in signing the 18-year-old this summer, with it then being revealed that his current club seem willing to let him go for the right price.

The Athletic then name-checked Villa as a team that have "looked at" Sarr as they look to strengthen their squad ahead of the new season, but it appears Premier League rivals Spurs have beaten them to the chase.

Writing on Twitter, Romano said: "Medical completed and now paperworks to be signed for Pape Sarr to Tottenham, here we go confirmed. Done deal for €15m guaranteed plus potential “huge” add ons amount in the future. #THFC Sarr will stay on loan at Metz until June 2022, confirmed. #Spurs"

Dean Smith will be gutted

The 18-year-old enjoyed a real breakthrough season with the Ligue 1 side, playing 22 times in the league, and establishing himself as one of the first names on the team sheet for Metz boss Frederic Antonetti.

And, Antonetti has not shied away from lavishing his midfield starlet with praise, saying: "Pape Matar Sarr is elegance in the midfield, it’s talent, it’s making others play."

He added: "He will be able to go as far as he wants to go. He must work, be as he is there, modest, regular, hardworking. He must continue to love football and he will do like the great players, he will go far. I think he will go very far."

Dubbed as someone who's "got everything" to his game, Sarr averaged an impressive two tackles and 1.2 interceptions per game, while also boasting a passing accuracy of 85.3% - the kind of all-action midfielder that would have surely gone down well with Smith.

The £25m-rated machine could have arrived at Villa Park to hold down one of the holding midfield positions. Instead, it looks like he'll be realising his potential at Spurs instead.

The Villa boss will surely be gutted when Sarr rocks up to Villa Park in a Spurs shirt.

Meanwhile, Gregg Evans has dropped a late night Aston Villa claim...