Aston Villa are interested in signing teenage goalkeeper Matthew Cox from AFC Wimbledon, according to Football Insider.

What's the latest transfer news involving Cox?

The Villans reportedly want to strengthen their goalkeeping options this summer, and are targeting Cox, who only turned 18 last month.

The shot-stopper has also caught the eye of newly-promoted Premier League outfit Norwich, indicating that it could come down to a battle between the two clubs for his signature.

Who is Matthew Cox?

Cox is yet to make an impression as part of a senior side as he has not featured for AFC Wimbledon so far in his career. However, he does appear to be an exciting prospect based on what he has been able to achieve at youth level.

The youngster was on Chelsea's books between the ages of eight and 14, before he was eventually let go by the west London club. He was quickly picked up by AFC Wimbledon, though, and his development there saw him receive his first England Under-17 cap last year.

Involvement in the national team setup suggests that he has made excellent progress in his career at such a tender age.

What is Villa's current goalkeeping situation?

Emiliano Martinez has established himself as the team's undisputed first-choice goalkeeper this past season, but his understudy Tom Heaton is set to depart the club this week. Heaton's contract at Villa Park expires on Wednesday, and he will then join Manchester United next month after undergoing a medical at Old Trafford recently.

This leaves manager Dean Smith with Jed Steer and Lovre Kalinic as his back-up options for Martinez moving forwards. The pair both have two years left on their contracts, and given their experience it seems likely that they would be ahead of Cox in the pecking order initially. If Cox continues to improve rapidly, though, this could change in the next couple of seasons.

Is Villa's transfer priority becoming clearer by the day?

Absolutely.

Although the club did re-sign veteran full-back Ashley Young earlier this month, that seems to be a one-off free transfer. Their main focus is on bringing in young players.

Villa have already wrapped up the signing of Emiliano Buendia, who is still only 24, and they are currently heavily linked with Emile Smith Rowe and Tammy Abraham - the English duo are 20 and 23, respectively.

It appears clear that Villa want to invest in youth so that they can continue to build as a club for years to come. 

It has been reported that the club's masterplan is to be battling for a top four spot in the future, and by going after the likes of Smith Rowe, Abraham and Cox, this is showing that Villa are putting plans in place to be a successful club in the long-term, who are happy to put their faith in some of the best young talents in the country.