Aston Villa closing on striker signing after breakthrough in talks

Club officials are increasingly confident of finalising the 28-year-old’s transfer over the weekend following protracted negotiations with the Turkish club.

Abraham would join for a fee of around £18million with reports in Turkey claiming teenage defender Yasin Ozcan will also join Besiktas as part of the agreement.

Ozcan, a Turkey international who joined Villa from Kasimpasa last summer, is currently on loan in Belgium with Anderlecht but that deal will be cut short to facilitate the move.

Abraham has been a major target for Unai Emery this month, with the Villa boss keen to rework his frontline heading into the second half of the season.

Donyell Malen was allowed to leave and join Roma in a deal which will eventually be worth £25m in the summer, opening the door to pursue Abraham.

Negotiations have been complex due to the England international being on a season-long loan at Besiktas from Roma.

The deal included an obligation for the Turkish club to buy him permanently based on certain conditions at the end of the campaign.

Villa officials have been in Turkey over recent days to try and thrash out an agreement.

Abraham is now on course to rejoin Villa six-and-a-half years after the conclusion of his hugely successful loan spell from Chelsea during the club’s 2018-19 promotion season.

Villa are also on the lookout for a midfielder following Boubacar Kamara’s serious injury.

“We are in the last week of the transfer window and we are not getting the balance completely in everything,” said Emery, speaking after Thursday’s 1-0 win over Fenerbahce.

“We must try to finish the transfer window with our squad like we want.”