Aston Villa 'declare interest' in £10m West Ham and Crystal Palace target

Aston Villa have reportedly joined Crystal Palace and West Ham United in the race to sign Peterborough United wonderkid Ronnie Edwards. The central defender, who is enjoying a third successive season as a regular starter for The Posh, has gained the attention of a whole host of Premier League clubs recently.

Everpresent for Peterborough in the 25 Sky Bet League One games this season, the 20-year-old is shining as one of the most exciting prospects in the English third tier. Portsmouth might be leading the way at the top but a recent drop in form has seen Peterborough move into title-winning contention, boosting the attention on Edwards further.

The Mail on Sunday reports Villa have declared their interest, alongside West Ham and Palace. The Independent, meanwhile, claims Palace are the most advanced with their interest but are a while out from Peterborough's £10 million valuation. This could provide an opportunity for Unai Emery's side to pounce if they so desire.

How would Ronnie Edwards fit in at Villa Park?

Edwards may struggle to have an instant impact if he signed for Villa as Unai Emery already has numerous high-quality centre-backs at his disposal. Pau Torres, Ezri Konsa, Diego Carlos, Clement Lenglet and Tyrone Mings would all likely be ahead in the pecking order, meaning Edwards would only have rare opportunities for game time.

That might be the idea, though, with any transfer perhaps seen as future-proofing. A step up to the Sky Bet Championship on loan could potentially be explored and then a re-evaluation of what level the defender is at. Villa might not have the chance to be so patient, however, with West Ham and Palace also very keen.