Aston Villa are leading Midlands rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers in the race to sign Liverpool midfielder Harry Wilson, according to a report.
Villa have been busy bolstering their squad this summer following their promotion to the Premier League last season, which was secured by beating Derby County in the playoff final at Wembley.
Wilson was part of that Derby side as his year-long loan spell with the Rams ultimately ended in disappointment, although his performances in helping Frank Lampard's men to Wembley attracted interest from a number of clubs.
Premier League trio Wolves, Brighton & Hove Albion and Bournemouth are all understood to be monitoring the 22-year-old's situation at Anfield, but the Birmingham Mail reports that Aston Villa are now considered favourites for his signature.
Liverpool have not ruled out selling Wilson on a permanent basis despite tying him down to a new five-year contract just last year, although Jurgen Klopp is thought to prefer another loan move in order for him to gain first-team experience in the Premier League.
Wilson scored 18 goals in 49 appearances for Derby last season.
Barney Corkhill
