Aston Villa in three team transfer chase with Southampton for League One teenager

Aston Villa along with two other teams are keeping tabs on Bristol Rovers starlet Kofi Shaw, who has burst on to the scene this season.

Posting on his Patreon page, Sun journalist Alan Nixon reported that Villa along with Leeds United and Southampton are scouting Shaw. He's apparently happy at getting first-team action, having had interested reported for him in the summer.

The 17-year-old has been in and around the first-team this season, and made his league debut against Barnsley in the middle of September. He's so far played five senior games for the Gas, with all of those appearances coming this season. He is a right-sided winger, and Villa over the last few months have made a habit of signing young players who seem to have a bright future in the game.

Speaking about Shaw, last month his current loan boss Matt Taylor said to the Bristol Post: “We are still conscious that he is still only 17 so you do have to manage him a little bit and he's running as hard as he possibly can. Now we want to keep him in and around the first team.”

Villa could have a watchful eye over Shaw as well as they sent out January signing Lino Sousa to the Memorial Stadium on a season-long loan. The 19-year-old has so far played six games for Rovers, and has been on the pitch at the same time as Shaw.

Sousa was the second player from Villa in as many years to head down the West Country, as it’s been a good place for young players to hone their craft. Dutch utility man Lamare Bogarde had two separate loan spells with Rovers, and has since returned to Villa Park to hold down a spot at right-back, playing in the absence of Matty Cash.