'Done and sealed' - Fabrizio Romano confirms Aston Villa deal is now imminent

The Villans, following intense negotiations over several weeks, are finally set to complete the Douglas Luiz and Juventus swap deal, with Samuel Iling Junior and Enzo Barrenechea to seal moves to Villa Park.

Popular and reliable transfer news journalist Fabrizio Romano has given the deal the ‘here we go’ status. Medical tests have been scheduled for all three players involved, with Iling Junior booked in on Tuesday. Luiz and Barrenechea will undergo their respective formalities at similar times.

It’s a significant agreement as Villa will receive €28 million (£23.7 million) and two highly-rated prospects. The funds gained represent a mark-up of £8.7 million on the £15 million paid for Luiz to Manchester City in 2019, a huge help as Villa seek profits to meet Premier League regulations.

Who are Iling Junior and Barrenechea?

Iling Junior is yet to make a proper breakthrough at Juventus but the 20-year-old has had several impressive cameos off the bench in Serie A and the Champions League. The England Under-21 international played 24 times in the Italian top flight last term, scoring once and making two assists.

Barrenechea, who replaced Weston McKennie in the exchange a few days ago, has been steadily making his way up through the ranks since signing for Juve from FC Sion in 2020. The 23-year-old impressed on loan at Frosinone last season, playing in 36 of the Serie A outfit’s 38 league games.

Iling Junior and Barrenechea will both sign five-year contracts, keeping them at Villa Park until June 2029. Luiz, who contributed 22 goals and 24 assists in 204 games for Villa, will sign a deal of the same length at Juve.