Aston Villa are said to be close to signing Hearts' Ewan Simpson as well as Rangers' Rory Wilson. 

The lowdown

Gerrard is about to take an exciting prospect from the club he managed from May 2018 until last November, with a move for Wilson nearing completion.

Rangers are entitled to a £300,000 development fee for 16-year-old striker Wilson, who bagged a whopping 49 goals in the junior ranks last season.

Simpson is a year younger than his fellow Scotsman Wilson and plays in midfield.

Villa have already been extremely busy this summer, making four additions to their first-team.

The latest

Barry Anderson, a football journalist at The Scotsman/Edinburgh News, relayed the double update on Monday morning.

In addition to Wilson, he reported that 'Villa [are] also close to signing' Simpson in a transfer that will cost them £250,000.

The verdict

Based on his remarkable goal record, it wouldn't be a surprise if the arrival of Wilson generated more excitement amongst the Villa fans.

But they should be very pleased with the capture of Simpson too, because he looks a superb talent.

According to The Daily Mail, he's been delivering 'outstanding performances' despite the fact that he's playing at Under-18 level as a 15-year-old.

Indeed, Villa have prevailed in a hotly-contested race, with Hearts allegedly fielding 'a number of enquiries' for Simpson.

It will of course be a while before he's ready to compete for a first-team place at Villa Park, but it's certainly a name worth remembering.

In other news, Aston Villa are eyeing a Champions League star Gerrard saw up close on a scouting trip