Bristol City are hoping to recruit Henri Lansbury before the end of the transfer window on Monday evening.
Head coach Dean Holden explained in his pre-Derby press conference that the Robins are aiming to add one further player to their squad and Bristol Live understands that City have the Premier League midfielder in their sights.
Lansbury would add some Championship experience to the middle of the pitch, where City recently lost the services of Chris Brunt, who has left the club by mutual consent following a calf tear sustained in the December loss at Rotherham that will rule the veteran out for the majority of the campaign.
Former Arsenal trainee Lansbury is out of contract this summer after joining from Nottingham Forest in January 2017 for a fee believed to be £2.7m.
He is available on loan after being left out of Villa's Premier League squad but Bristol Live understands that talks are continuing and that if the switch is agreed it may be a permanent signing, if the Villa man is released from his contract.
Villa and City have a good relationship at board level following the sale of Jonathan Kodjia and re-negotiation of Nathan Baker's fee to help the Midlands club when they experienced financial problems while in the Championship.
And Dean Holden's close ties with Dean Smith - which led to a friendly being played between the two clubs in South Wales in the summer - will also help smooth a deal.
Attacking midfielder Lansbury has been limited to just three Carabao Cup appearances this season. As well as good Championship experience, the midfielder would offer goals from midfield too. He netted 32 goals in 145 League games for Forest before heading to the Midlands, though he has netted just twice since.
Holden has specifically targeted players with Championship experience since becoming head coach, as a way to help develop the young talents coming through at the club as well as to help try and push City over the line as they look to make the jump to the top six.
As well as Lansbury, City hold an interest in Villa striker Keinan Davis, although the forward will not be allowed to leave Villa Park on loan in January according to Holden, after Smith originally considered a loan for the player this winter.
"Keinan Davis won't be leaving Aston Villa in this transfer window," confirmed Holden.
"He's obviously a very good player and he played against us in that Carabao Cup at the start of the season and did some damage to us from what I remember, but he won't be coming down from Villa."
