Aston will have been linked with the move for the Real Madrid midfielder Dani Ceballos for weeks.
The 27-year-old midfielder is expected to leave the Spanish club in the coming months so that he can play regular first-team football.
A report from Fichajes claims that Aston Villa are now determined to sign the player in the coming months and they would be willing to submit an offer of around €30 million for the Spanish international.
Ceballos has played under Unai Emery in the past when he was on loan at Arsenal. The opportunity to reunite with the Spanish manager could be an attractive proposition for the player.
The Aston Villa manager clearly rates him highly and Ceballos might get ample game time if he moves to the West Midlands club. Aston Villa need to add more technical ability and depth in the middle of the park. Summer signing Youri Tielemans has not been at his best and the West Midlands club needs more options at their disposal.
Ceballos has played in the Premier League in the past and he should be able to adapt quickly.
Aston Villa are currently competing in the UEFA Europa Conference League and they have the quality to push for Europa League qualification this season. The opportunity to play regularly for them is likely to be a tempting option for the player.
It remains to be seen whether Aston Villa can agree on a reasonable fee with Real Madrid in the coming months now.