Aston Villa could sign their new Idrissa Gueye in Metz starlet Pape Sarr as a major transfer update emerges.

What's the story?

Reports in recent weeks have suggested that Dean Smith's side are interested in signing the 18-year-old this summer, and it now appears that his current club are willing to let him go for the right price.

Metz's president, Bernard Cerin, said: "All the clubs now want to buy him for cheaper. We are in the opposite situation. We want to keep him a little longer.

"The wish is to keep everyone - but we do not control everything. A very high offer makes it difficult for you to convince a player to stay."

A new Idrissa Gueye

Villa fans will, of course, know all about Gueye and the tenacious midfield work that he got through in his time at Villa Park, before making the move to fellow Premier League side Everton and now PSG.

In Sarr, Smith could find an exciting, younger version of the Senegal international.

The 18-year-old is enjoying a real breakthrough campaign with the Ligue 1 side this season, playing 22 times in the league, and has established himself as one of the first names on the team sheet in recent weeks 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 said: "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 has averaged an impressive two tackles and 1.2 interceptions per game, while also boasting a passing accuracy of 85.3% - compare that to Gueye who's managed 2.3 tackles and 0.7 interceptions per match in Ligue 1 this season, and having a 92.6% pass accuracy.

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Given his age, and the fact he's already piling up plento of experience in terms of top-level football, and Sarr could be the kind of young talent who can fill those considerable shoes that Gueye left at Villa when he departed.

Meanwhile, Villa are facing a major transfer battle over this star...