Bury defender Jacob Bedeau is set to join Aston Villa, according to Shakers boss Chris Brass.
Bury manager Chris Brass has told the Bury Times that Aston Villa are indeed close to signing Jacob Bedeau – but he wants him to return to Gigg Lane on loan until the end of the season.
Villa have already landed five signings this month in Sam Johnstone, James Bree, Conor Hourihane, Henri Lansbury and Birkir Bjarnason, but manager Steve Bruce is clearly looking for more before Tuesday’s transfer deadline.
General view inside Villa Park
Whilst those five players have been brought in with a view to helping Villa reduce the nine point deficit to the play-off places, Villa’s next signing appears to be with one eye on the future.
The Birmingham Mail reported on Saturday that a deal to sign Bury defender Jacob Bedeau was close, after Villa returned having seen their £750,000 offer turned down earlier this month.
Bedeau, 17, was released by Leyton Orient over the summer in what appears to have been a huge mistake by the League Two club, as he has become hot property during his time with Bury.
Bury assistant manager Chris Brass
The defender has already made seven first-team appearances this season, and his displays have triggered major interest, with Villa now swooping to land the central defender ahead of the deadline.
After Bury’s 3-3 draw with Walsall on Saturday, manager Chris Brass told the Bury Times that a deal has now been agreed, with the report stating that a medical is now imminent for the teenage defender.
Brass suggested that Bedeau will be a ‘fantastic player’ in the future, but he wants to take him back on loan for the rest of the season in order to continue working with the defender on improving aspects of his game.
“They have got to where our expectations are and they have done their homework, as you would expect from a club of their magnitude,” said Brass. “The deal has not just happened overnight. It has been ongoing for a while.”
“You have to make sure it is in the best interests of Jacob and the football club. He is going to be a fantastic player. There are little bits I want to work on. I want to bring him back for the rest of the season, that’s what I want to work on in the next couple of days,” he added.
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