Aston Villa's latest move should strike shades of Stewart Downing into the Midlands if emerging reports are to be believed...

What's the word?

According to the Daily Mirror, Dean Smith's side are leading the charge to sign Liverpool misfit Harry Wilson this summer but the Premier League champions refuse to budge on their £20m valuation.

It's claimed that Villa would be prepared to offer up to £12m and are waiting to see if the Merseysiders 'blink first'.

The likes of Leeds United, Newcastle United, Crystal Palace and Southampton have all also shown interest in the 23-year-old.

Shades of Downing

Wilson has struggled to break into Jurgen Klopp's senior line-up since making his debut in 2017, and it has seen him go out on loan four times with the latest coming at relegated AFC Bournemouth last term.

Per WhoScored, the Welsh international scored seven times in 31 appearances whilst averaging 1.8 shots, 0.5 dribbles and 0.5 key passes per game.

He's also widely known as a set-piece specialist, which earned high praise from his German boss earlier in the season, he said: "I am happy he cannot play against us! Each free-kick is a proper threat. We were never in doubt about Harry’s shooting abilities, his skills in that part of the game are incredible – world-class, for sure."

Having someone who can deliver a decent ball in is something that Villa have lacked for several years, perhaps dating back to Downing's time at Villa Park.

The club splashed £12m on the veteran winger back in 2009 after a very encouraging spell at Middlesbrough but there are clearly similarities between the two with the pair being dead-ball experts.

Smith does indeed have a few options out wide, but Wilson would undoubtedly be an upgrade on Jota and perhaps, a nice squad option to have going into the new campaign.

AND in other news, Smith must land 1-2 sucker-punch with a swoop for £20m sensation...