Brighton prepare bid for Aston Villa prodigy Keinan Davis as boss Chris Hughton looks to strengthen squad
Hughton has been tracking the England under-20 international for the past few months and is hoping to tempt Villa into selling this month with £3million offer
BRIGHTON are preparing a January bid for Aston Villa prodigy Keinan Davis.
Seagulls boss Chris Hughton has been tracking the Villa attacker over the past few months after his impressive breakthrough season in the Championship.
And Brighton are now putting together a £3million package in an attempt to land the highly-rated England under-20 international.
Davis has emerged as one of the brightest young talents outside the Premier League with a series of impressive performances for Steve Bruce's side.
And the 19-year-old's displays have already seen him gain international recognition after he was drafted into the England under-20 squad.
But they have also attracted the interest of Premier League clubs with both Brighton and Bournemouth regularly scouting his matches in recent weeks.
And it is Brighton who are ready to make the first move by lodging a bid this month.
The belief is Davis will develop into a player who could be challenging for a senior international call-up over the next couple of years if he continues to progress.
'UNACCEPTABLE' Alex Iwobi to be fined after breaking curfew to party 48 hours before Forest defeat
And Hughton believes he can help nurture the teenager's exciting talent at the Amex by giving the player regular games in the Premier League.
Should he seal a move to the top flight it would cap an remarkable journey from non-league football for the 6ft 3in youngster.
Most read in football
He was originally an apprentice at Stevenage but was released and ended up joining non-league Biggleswade Town.
It was his performance in a friendly against a Villa side in 2015 that saw the midlands club take note - and they snapped him up soon after.
Villa boss Bruce gave him his debut a year ago in an FA Cup clash with Tottenham, and since then he has gone on to flourish in the first team.
Davis has now made 22 appearances in all competitions this season, establishing himself as a regular in the side as Villa push for promotion back to the Premier League.