Aston Villa opt to not pursue £50m transfer on deadline day

Aston Villa signed four senior players during the January transfer window, with the arrivals of Philippe Countinho, Lucas Digne, Robin Olsen and Calum Chambers to the Midlands.

However, they opted to not pursue the signing of Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Yves Bissouma according to reports.

As per the Daily Mail, Steven Gerrafd’s side decided against trying to bring the 25-year-old to Villa Park during the winter window, in hope they can secure Bissouma’s signature in the summer.

The Mali international, who recently represented his country at the Africa Cup of Nations, will enter the last 12 months of his contract with the Seagulls at the beginning of the new season.

They add that Villa had a £25m bid rejected from Brighton for Bissouma in January, with the latter looking for at least £45m for the midfielder.

He has been a key figure for the Seagulls since his arrival in East Sussex, making 111 appearances in three-and-a-half years.

Despite not signing the 25-year-old this month, Gerrard has added strength to his midfield with the signing of Coutinho on loan.

The Brazilian international is no stranger to the Villa boss having played alongside him at Liverpool.

Villa will look to push on for a strong finish in the second half of the campaign, with the Premier League their only focus after exiting the third round of the FA Cup on January 10.

It should also be noted that 14 players left the Midlands outfit during the winter window, including Anwar El Ghazi, Wesley and Matt Targett.