Dean Smith: Aston Villa 'very close' to Mbwana Samatta deal

The 27-year-old is poised to join from Genk in a deal worth around £8.5million.

Personal terms have been agreed, with the club now awaiting the receipt of a work permit for the Tanzania international before the move can be rubber stamped.

Asked about the club's search for a striker after Saturday's 1-1 draw at Brighton, Smith said: "We're getting very close.

"The paperwork is just getting ticked off with Samatta and, if we get that done, we'll be really pleased. He's a good player and, on top of that, he's a good character as well."

Villa have played their last three fixtures without a recognised forward following the season-ending knee injury sustained by record signing Wesley earlier in January.

With Jonathan Kodjia out of favour and on the brink of a move to Qatar outfit Al Gharafa, Anwar El Ghazi was again utilised in a central role at the Amex Stadium as Villa fought back to claim a point.

Jack Grealish got the leveller for the visitors after Leandro Trossard had earlier put the hosts in front.

The draw kept Villa in the relegation zone but the manner of Villa's comeback was encouraging, particularly in the wake of last weekend's 6-1 defeat to Manchester City.

"It was a good point and a well-deserved point," said Smith. "I thought it was a bit of a tale of two halves. They were the better team in the first half, they passed it very well but didn't trouble Pepe very much.

"A couple of scrambles in and around the penalty box and they scored on the breakaway after Jack's chance where he felt he should have scored.

"We weren't aggressive enough in the first half. We allowed them to play too much. Second half out outside centre-backs were aggressive and we won a lot of balls in their half. We made that pressure tell."

Grealish had missed the chance to put Villa ahead a minute before Trossard's opener but made amends by blasting in the leveller with 15 minutes to go.

It was the skipper's seventh goal of the Premier League campaign.

Smith praised the impact of substitutes Indiana Vassilev and Douglas Luiz, the latter of whom set up the goal.

"We had an impact from the bench and that's what you want," he said.

"I had no qualms putting Indiana on, a young under-23 player who's been scoring goals.

"He's got bundles of energy and he makes a good run down the side, dragging some of their defenders and Douglas sees a ball that I hadn't seen to find Jack and it was a great finish.

"You do start to run out of superlatives for Jack."

The game at the Amex also saw a debut for goalkeeper Pepe Reina, following his loan move from AC Milan.

Lovre Kalinic, Villa's fourth choice keeper, is expected to leave the club on loan in the coming days.