'Medical today' - Aston Villa to 'confirm' £12.6 million signing from Hull City but there could be a catch

Aston Villa are ‘expected’ to sign Hull City winger Jaden Philogene ‘today’, recent reports suggest - he is thought to be currently undergoing his medical at Villa Park ahead of an official announcement.

This is according to a report from journalist Jacob Tanswell. He reported that Philogene arrived at Bodymoor Heath this morning and that everything is going according to plan as things stand.

Writing on social media, Tanswell penned: “Jaden Philogene is at Bodymoor Heath this morning and will now undergo/complete a medical ahead of his move to AVFC, expected to be finalised today.”

Philogene has played for Villa before, after he rose up through their youth ranks during his teenage years. He joined Villa’s academy in 2018 and made his senior team debut for the club in 2021. All in all, Philogene made just three Premier League appearances for the Villans, before he left the club to join Hull for a fee of £5 million.

His time at Villa Park was largely characterised by loan moves - in 2022, he enjoyed a brief spell at Stoke City, before joining Cardiff City later in the year. He has also represented his country at multiple youth levels - he made four appearances for England’s U20s and U21s, scoring three goals along the way for the U21s.

Last season, Philogene burst onto the EFL scene in style. He scored 12 goals and registered six assists over the course of 32 Championship appearances for the Tigers, despite suffering a knee injury midway through the campaign. He played a major role in Hull’s impressive 2023/24 season that saw them miss out on the playoffs by just three points.

What could prevent Aston Villa from signing Jaden Philogene?

While the sale of Philogene to Villa appears to be a done deal, it may not be quite so simple. According to a reports from journalist Alan Nixon on X (formerly Twitter), the Villans may need to move players on before they can make additions to their squad.

Nixon states that Philogene wants regular first-team football upon his return to Villa Park. However, there is little room in Villa’s team to accommodate this desire. Philogene primarily plays on the right wing and Villa already have three right wingers in their first team.

Should Philogene complete his reported move to Villa, he would need to compete with the likes of Leon Bailey, Emiliano Buendia and Moussa Diaby. However, one of them could leave the club in the summer - journalist Alan Nixon has reported that Diaby could make the jump to an unspecified club in the Saudi Pro League.

If this reported deal becomes a reality, he says it would give Philogene’s chances of joining Villa a ‘boost’. As things stand, it is unclear if this is what the deal hinges on. On top of this, Villa are not the only club in the race for the 22-year-old’s signature - Ipswich Town have previously put forth an £18 million bid, while Everton have also made an offer of £16 million.