Aston Villa have been tipped to make a move for a rival Premier League winger this week...

What's the word?

According to Birmingham Live's Ashley Preece, there's "a possibility" that the Midlands outfit raid their local rivals Leicester City for winger Demarai Gray.

He "firmly believes" that the 24-year-old is on the list of winger targets at the club given that his contract is set to expire at the end of the new season.

It's claimed that Villa are keen to add homegrown English talent with Premier League experience to their squad and the Foxes ace would fit meet that criteria.

Sinclair 2.0?

Despite the obvious squad regulations factor, it's hard to understand why anyone would be in for Gray whether it's for a fee this summer (£20m has been mooted) or on a free next.

There can't be many players that have been rated so highly as a youngster and then just failed to make such a mark. Gray has featured in the Premier League 132 times yet has only provided ten goals and 11 assists.

18 of his 21 appearances this term were from the bench as Brendan Rodgers favoured other players, which is hardly a good sign either.

Yet Rodgers believes "he has all the tools to play at the very highest level. If you look at speed and power, and explosiveness, technique; those are attributes he has."

Whilst Foxes teammate Christian Fuchs claims it has been his own mind holding him back, suggesting Gray is "unbelievable" in training - he might well be, but there's nothing to suggest life would be any different at Villa Park.

This move could bear similarities to that of Scott Sinclair back in 2015. He arrived with a bit of promise about him, claiming that the move made him "the happiest I have been in a long time" yet he was part of a side that won just three matches all season and were duly relegated from the PL.

His two goals hardly helped.

Villa should steer well clear of this one.

AND in other news, Magpies ready to sacrifice Matt Ritchie to land key target ahead of Villa...