Martin O'Neill may make a late bid to snatch Spain starlet Sergio Asenjo from under the noses of Atletico Madrid, according to reports.
Goalkeeper Asenjo, 19, currently plies his trade for Real Valladolid in La Liga and was part of the Spanish Under 21 squad which lost to England's James Milner and co in the European Championships earlier this month.
The super-talented young stopper, who has 47 Valladolid appearances to his name, has plenty of admirers in his homeland including Real Madrid and Barcelona.
But, it seems certain that he will now join Atletico for around £6m unless O'Neill can disrupt the deal with a late bid to bring Asenjo to the Premier League.
It is believed that the keeper is keen to stay at home for the time-being but with England currently the place to be, it would be no surprise should Asenjo choose Villa over the men from Madrid.