Aston Villa are said to have tracked Bastien since November 2015, but look set to lose out to Huddersfield Town.
Huddersfield Town boss David Wagner is ‘confident of beating’ Bournemouth and Aston Villa to the signing of Belgian midfielder Samuel Bastien, according to the Daily Mirror [page 57, Thursday printed edition].
The report claims Huddersfield are ‘set to seal the £2.5 million capture’ of Bastien, who plays for Chievo Verona in Italy’s Serie A.
Aston Villa have tracked the 21-year-old for more than two years, according to the Birmingham Mail, but were always likely to find Premier League interest difficult to compete with.
The Villans are also thought to have reined in their spending as they try to keep in line with the Football League’s Financial Fair Play rules.
But Huddersfield, who employ Bastien’s fellow Belgian Laurent Depoitre, look to have won the top-flight battle for the player with one goal from nine league starts this season.
Bournemouth sit a place above Huddersfield, who are 14th in their first ever Premier League season, on goal difference only.
Aston Villa are fourth in the Championship and hoping to return to the highest level after two years away.
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