Aston Villa are poised to continue their youth recruitment with a raid on Derby County for their teenage striker Omari Kellyman.
That’s according to The Sun, who claim that a £600,000 deal is now on the verge of being completed.
It’s stated that Derby’s administrators have accepted an offer for Kellyman as the Rams look to raise funds.
Kellyman is thought to be a big talent for the future and whilst Derby will take the cash, they are likely gutted to be losing an exciting youngster.
With Kellyman only 16, he can move to Villa immediately even with the transfer window now closed.
The same thing happened last year as Liverpool raided the Rams to bring young winger Kaide Gordon to Anfield.
Kellyman represents Northern Ireland on the international stage and has been in and around Derby’s first-team training this season.
A tall and rangy striker for his age, Kellyman looks set for a bright future in the game and now makes an exciting move to Villa.
Villa have been active in terms of youth recruitment in recent times, with Kellyman the latest addition to their ranks.
The likes of Kerr Smith, Lamare Bogarde, Ben Chrisene, Tim Iroegbunam, Sil Swinkels and Caleb Chukwuemeka have all arrived at Villa Park in the last couple of years.
Villa clearly want to bring through more and more young players, with Cameron Archer, Jaden Philogene-Bidace and Carney Chukwuemeka also showing huge promise.
The hope will be that Kellyman can make a real impact for Villa over the coming years and that six-figure fee proves to be a bargain.
It’s a blow for Derby, especially after losing Dylan Williams to Chelsea, but goes to show the great work being done at Pride Park when it comes to developing young players.
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