Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard has requested the signing of Aaron Hickey from Bologna, according to Tuttosport (via Sport Witness).

The lowdown

Hickey joined Bologna from Scottish Premiership outfit Hearts in a £1.5million move in September 2020.

The 19 year-old may have caught Gerrard's eye in a Scottish Cup clash in February 2020 when Hearts beat the boss' Rangers side 1-0.

Hickey, who can play as a left-back and a left midfielder, has scored five goals in 20 Serie A appearances for mid-table Bologna this term.

His contract runs until June 2024 and he's valued at £11.7million by Transfermarkt.

The latest

Interest from Villa has 'filtered through' to Bologna, the report (via SW) says.

Gerrard is said to be the driving force behind the move, having been a fan of Hickey for a long time.

Villa have been sending scouts to watch him in action, but they're yet to formalise their interest.

The verdict

It feels like only a matter of time before Hickey takes a step up from Bologna. He's in elite company this season as one of the highest scoring teenage talents in Europe's top five leagues.

And his reputation is growing quickly too. BT Sport posted a clip of his recent strike against Sassuolo - 'an incredible first-time finish' - and it was viewed more than 350,000 times.

Were he to join Villa, he'd be competing for places with the likes of Matt Targett and Leon Bailey. The signing would be a long-term investment, but would also significantly improve Villa's depth in the short term.

In other news, this Villa star is attracting interest from a UCL giant.