Jadon Sancho to Aston Villa looks to be a matter of when and not if, with the Englishman following Marcus Rashford in moving to the Midlands side from Old Trafford.

It has not been made clear whether there will be an option or obligation to buy the winger at the end of the season, but he will spend 2025/26 in the West Midlands.

He might not be the only creative player who joins Villa before the window slams shut at 7pm today, either.

Aston Villa exploring another deal alongside Sancho

With the deal to sign Sancho on loan all but confirmed, Villa will move on to their next target. According to David Ornstein of The Athletic, the Villans are now closing in on a move for Harvey Elliot to join Unai Emery's ranks.

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

The Liverpool star is set to sign on a season-long loan deal, although it would include an obligation to buy as part of that initial temporary switch. According to Ornstein, the Reds are looking for a fee in the region of £35m, should such a clause be included.

Why Elliot would be a good signing

Described as a "diamond" by football scout Antonio Mango, England under-21 international Elliot has impressed for Liverpool. However, with the quality they have in creative areas, such as Mohamed Salah and Florian Wirtz, it is hard for him to break into the side.

Harvey Elliott celebrates for Liverpool

However, his quality is undeniable. He has made 149 appearances for the Reds, with 15 goals and 21 assists to his name. His best campaign came in 2023/24, which was Jurgen Klopp’s final season. Elliot scored three goals and assisted nine in 33 Premier League games.

The former Fulham player shone in the recent under-21 European Championships, too. He was a pivotal part of England retaining their title, scoring five goals in six games and even skippering the side in their final group stage clash.

It is easy to see how Elliot could become the second coming of Morgan Rogers at Villa Park. The newly-crowned PFA Young Player of the Year winner has been sensational under Emery since his move to the West Midlands.

In 73 appearances so far, he’s found the back of the net on 17 occasions and has also chalked up the same number of assists.

Last season in the Premier League, he scored eight times and created 11 goals for his teammates.

It is easy to draw comparisons between the two players. Both are young English talents who excel at operating between the lines and creating chances.

On top of that, they’ve each played for huge clubs, with Rogers coming through the Manchester City academy, and Elliot, of course, at Liverpool.

Liverpool's Harvey Elliott celebrates

Statistically, you can compare the players and see the similarities. In the last two Premier League campaigns, Elliot has averaged 2.46 key passes and 2.83 progressive carries per 90 minutes.

As for Rogers, he’s played an average of 1.44 key passes and completed 3.26 progressive carries on average each game.

Signing Elliot could be a huge addition for Villa. He is certainly similar to Rogers, given the playmaking ability he possesses in the final third. For a fee of around £40m, this could be a bargain for Emery and for Monchi on deadline day.