Aston Villa to strike 'creative deal' for midfield signing after medical booked - Keith Wyness

Aston Villa will add at least one more midfielder to their ranks alongside the imminent signing of Wolves star Joao Gomes.

That is according to former Villa chief executive Keith Wyness, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, who believes that his former club are light at the base of their midfield.

Unai Emery's side lost Youri Tielemans to Manchester United earlier this week in a £35million deal, while Amadou Onana is likely to be sidelined for a large part of the campaign.

Wyness has revealed that his former club now have their full "focus" on bolstering their options in the middle of the park, and are preparing to strike some "creative deals."

The second city outfit are already on the verge of adding Gomes to their ranks, as he underwent a medical on Friday, Football Insider understands.

The Brazilian looks unlikely to be the final addition to the midfield group, with Wyness certain that there is "more to be done" in that area of the pitch.

Johan Manzambi not the replacement for Youri Tielemans

Villa's former chief Wyness - who served as CEO at Villa Park between 2016 and 2018 and now runs a consultancy business advising elite clubs - believes that Johan Manzambi cannot be the direct replacement for Tielemans.

The Switzerland international recently completed his move to the Villans in a club record £50m deal, but Wyness is adamant that he possesses different skills to the ones lost by Tielemans' exit.

Speaking on the latest edition of Football Insider's Inside Track podcast, the Scottish businessman emphasised that the midfield signings are not done at Villa Park.

"You've got to keep thinking though that there's more to be done in midfield. You look at Onana who was the sort of the deep, thoughtful passing player," he said.

"Tielemans was a bit more of a warrior. And, you know, it was difficult to see how they can try and replace him with just one person like Manzambi. 

"He's certainly got talent, but he's still very young and unproven to a great degree. So yes, Villa are going to be looking more and more in midfield again, and it's going to have to be some creative deals coming up.

"That's going to be their focus certainly because they've had some big hits in midfield as we've said so it's the area they've got to focus on."

Amadou Onana injury has cost Aston Villa '£50m'

Wyness also told Football Insider earlier this week that Onana's injury has cost Villa up to "£50m" this summer.

The Belgian ruptured his ACL during his country's last 16 victory over USA at the World Cup, and is now facing a prolonged period on the sidelines.

Wyness believes that the 24-year-old had been lined up to be sold by Villa this summer, and feels that they would have been looking to net £50m for him.

However, he has since outlined that any chance of that happening has now well and truly gone, with Villa left to pick up the pieces after his injury blow.