Villa move for Woodburn as EFL lifts transfer ban

Steve Bruce has launched a bid to sign Liverpool’s Ben Woodburn on loan, with the Wales international set to be withdrawn from Jurgen Klopp’s training camp in France.

Aston Villa are in talks with Liverpool over a deal to take Woodburn for the whole of the season, with a transfer embargo on the Midlands club having been lifted.

The Daily Telegraph can reveal that Villa have been operating under a sanction imposed by the Football League amid their cash crisis under former chairman Dr Tony Xia.

But new Villa owners Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens have since provided the EFL with assurances over future funding and the Championship club are free to make new signings this week.

Villa have made contact with Liverpool over a loan deal for Woodburn, the 18-year-old attacker, and are understood to be the favourites to sign him.

Liverpool fly out to a training camp in Evian today but Woodburn is not travelling with the squad and his future will be decided before the weekend.

Klopp is a huge fan of the teenager – who signed a long-term contract last year – but believes his career would benefit from a loan spell in the Championship.

Sheffield United and Wigan have also asked about taking Woodburn on loan but Villa are now believed to be in the box seat. Woodburn became the third youngest Liverpool debutant in the club’s history when he appeared against Sunderland in November 2016.

Meanwhile, the future of Villa playmaker Jack Grealish is still uncertain, with Tottenham Hotspur interested in signing him before the transfer window closes.

Grealish is keen to link up with Mauricio Pochettino as he wants to play Champions League football and earn a call-up into the senior England squad.

Spurs are yet to make a bid during this window and their hopes of signing the 22-year-old for £20 million now appear remote after the recent £30million investment deal at the Championship club.