Aston Villa closing in on Barcelona youngster David Oduro with loan plan ready

Aston Villa are reportedly in the process of signing Barcelona youngster David Oduro, with the Premier League club already having a development plan in place for the 20-year-old.

According to Spanish newspaper Sport, Villa are currently the most advanced option for the Ghanaian left-back as Barcelona work to move several youngsters out of the club before the transfer deadline.

If Villa complete the signing, their intention is to send Oduro to French Ligue 2 side Annecy to gain regular senior football.

Oduro is preparing to leave Barcelona after two years at the Catalan club, with his pathway towards the senior side currently blocked.

Villa are described as the club closest to "securing the deal", although the transfer has not yet been completed.

Barcelona's proposed structure is particularly important. Rather than completely giving up control of the youngster's future, the Spanish champions want to retain 50 per cent of his future sale rights.

That would allow Barcelona to benefit financially if Oduro develops and is later sold for a substantial fee.

For Aston Villa, the deal represents an opportunity to recruit a highly rated young player before giving him the senior experience required to continue his development.

Rather than immediately placing Oduro in Unai Emery's first-team squad, Villa reportedly intend to send him to Annecy.

The French club are connected to Aston Villa's ownership and compete in Ligue 2, providing a potential pathway for Oduro to play regularly at senior level.

It would allow Villa to retain control over his development while avoiding the pressure of expecting the 20-year-old to immediately compete for Premier League minutes.

Oduro has earned praise during his time in Barcelona's youth setup for his physical power and the range of his left foot, but the competition ahead of him means first-team opportunities at Camp Nou are currently difficult to envisage.

Barcelona have consequently decided that a transfer is now the best solution.

Villa are leading the race, but they are not Oduro's only option.

Portuguese side Tondela are also interested and have reportedly sold their starting left-back partly to create space for the Ghanaian.

Sturm Graz had previously submitted an offer earlier in the summer, but Barcelona decided at that stage to delay Oduro's departure while assessing their squad.

Their position has now changed.

Barcelona believe they have sufficient depth at left-back and are prepared to let Oduro leave, while the player himself is looking for a new challenge and opportunities at a higher senior level.

That has accelerated discussions, with Villa currently best positioned to complete the transfer.

Aston Villa must finalise an agreement with Barcelona, including the proposed 50 per cent future-sale arrangement, before they can put their development plan into action.

If the deal is completed, Oduro is expected to head to Annecy rather than immediately join Emery's Premier League squad. Villa would then hope regular football in France can accelerate his development and eventually produce a player capable of competing at Villa Park.

Is Aston Villa's plan to sign Oduro and immediately develop him at Annecy a smart long-term strategy? Have your say.