By Wayne Veysey

8th May, 2020 | 4:00pm

Exclusive: Aston Villa open talks over striker new deal after big development

Aston Villa are working to tie striker Keinan Davis down to a long-term contract after ensuring they won’t lose him on a summer free, Football Insider can reveal.

This site revealed last month the Midlands giants have taken up the option to extend the centre-forward’s current terms for another 12 months.

A Villa source has told Football Insider that the club have bought some time by extending the contract of Davis, 22, but they want to lock him down to a long-term deal.

Initial talks have been held but the two parties are yet to come to an agreement.

Manager Dean Smith has made clear he is a big admirer of the former England Under-20 international and regards him as a key figure in his plans going forward.

However, the young striker’s career has yet to truly lift off and a hamstring injury that sidelined him for three months has further disrupted him this season.

Davis came closed to being loaned out to a Championship club last summer after offers were tabled by QPR, Huddersfield, Fulham Sheffield Wednesday, Swansea City and Preston North End.

But Smith put the block on a temporary move and promised Davis he would be given first-team chances.

The striker has made 13 senior appearances this campaign, but none of those were Premier League starts and 10 of them were as a substitute.

Since graduating from the Villa youth set-up, the attacker has made 57 appearances for the club and scored four goals and supplied five assists.

In other Aston Villa news, it can be REVEALED that the club stand to lose nearly £40m in devastating blow.