Aston Villa look set to complete a free-transfer coup for Leon Goretzka, with the Germany international reportedly poised to give the move his final approval within hours after a pivot away from an earlier target.
Transfer journalist Matteo Moretto reported that the 31-year-old midfielder, who left Bayern Munich as a free agent at the end of his contract in June, is taken with the project at Villa Park and expected to give the green light for the switch imminently.
Fabrizio Romano added that talks between Goretzka and manager Unai Emery have already taken place, with Moretto later confirming in an update that the two parties are in full agreement and are now finalising the paperwork.
Because his contract at Bayern had already expired, no transfer fee is involved. Numerous clubs made contact with Goretzka over the course of the summer without a deal materialising, before the move to the Premier League gathered pace in recent days.
Aston Villa's midfield has been hit hard this window. Amadou Onana, 25, is set to miss much of the season after suffering a torn cruciate ligament, while captain Youri Tielemans, 29, left the Champions League club for Manchester United.
Villa had been working on a deal to bring in João Palhinha, 31, from Bayern Munich as compensation, but with that move now expected to take Palhinha to Benfica instead, Goretzka has emerged as Emery's chosen alternative to fill the gap.
The Germany international spent eight years at Bayern, making 312 appearances and winning seven Bundesliga titles along with the 2020 Champions League, and would arrive at Villa Park as by far the most decorated name to join the club's midfield rebuild this summer.
Interest in Goretzka this window had stretched well beyond Villa. Newcastle United also held talks, while his representatives were said to have offered him around to a number of other Premier League clubs, including Chelsea, Manchester City and Liverpool, as well as continental sides such as Atlético Madrid, Juventus, AC Milan and Inter.
None of those discussions progressed as far as the Villa talks, with the box-to-box midfielder ultimately deciding England was where he wanted to continue his career.