Stewart Downing is set to become Villa’s first summer signing after Middlesbrough accepted a £12million bid for the England winger.

The 24-year-old will hold talks with claret and blue boss Martin O’Neill later today, over a move which would equal the club record fee paid to Newcastle for James Milner a year ago.

The player’s medical will be complicated by the broken foot – ironically sustained in a collision with Villa’s Stiliyan Petrov in penultimate game of the season – which is expected to rule him out of action until October at the earliest.

His recovery is thought to be progressing as planned but the initial diagnosis – after he went under the knife on May 22 – suggested a spell of between four and six months on the sidelines.

But O’Neill is clearly prepared to take a gamble on Downing making a full recovery, by making him what supporters increasingly anxious at the lack of summer arrivals hope will be a flurry of signings.

Despite Downing playing in the same position as Ashley Young, the Express & Star understands the Boro player’s arrival will have no bearing on the future of the fellow England winger.

Young has been linked with Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham this summer but Villa are determined to keep hold of one of their crown jewels, with their squad already looking severely depleted without key duo Gareth Barry and Martin Laursen.

Spurs are also long-time admirers of Downing – their interest in January prompted the the Boro academy product into handing in a transfer request at the Riverside Stadium – but a move never materialised.

White Hart Lane chief Harry Redknapp could still attempt to scupper the move with a last-ditch bid, but Villa are now firmly in the driving seat for a player regarded as the Teesside club’s most saleable asset, in the wake of their relegation from the Premier League.

O’Neill’s dealings with Boro boss and former Villa defender Gareth Southgate may not end there, with the claret and blues still monitoring the situation of Turkey international Tuncay.

It is understood no move for the midfielder is imminent, but O’Neill has been asked to be kept informed of interest from other clubs.