Journalist Pete O'Rourke has confirmed that Aston Villa are "very keen" on signing Juventus midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur before this month's transfer window closes.

The Villans have been linked with Bentancur in recent days, although O'Rourke has admitted that getting a deal in place will not be an easy task.

What's the latest transfer news involving Bentancur?

Bentancur has spent the last five years in Turin, and has amassed 181 appearances for Juventus during this time.

However, despite featuring regularly for the team this season, he has arguably not kicked on as much as he was expected to, and this has led to speculation that he could be moved on.

It is understood that Villa admire Bentancur's qualities, and have identified him as a midfielder that they would like to bring to the club to work under Steven Gerrard.

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What has O'Rourke said about Bentancur?

O'Rourke has stated that Villa's interest in the 45-cap international is genuine, but has acknowledged that there could be a couple of obstacles for the Premier League outfit to overcome if they are to complete the signing.

He told GIVEMESPORT: “Villa are very keen to do this deal, extra complications as well, Juve won’t let him go until they maybe bring in a replacement.

“And also, he’s away on international duty in South America right now, which again, is an extra complication that Villa probably don’t need with the deadline getting ever closer as well.”

Can Villa realistically get this deal done?

It could be a tricky one for them to get across the line.

The midfielder being out in South America is not ideal, yet he could always undergo his medical out there if necessary.

The bigger issue could be that another Juventus midfielder, Arthur, has also been heavily linked with a move to Arsenal.

It seems unlikely that the Serie A club would sanction two of their midfielders leaving within a matter of days, so if Arthur departs, Bentancur would probably stay.

Then again, Villa have already managed to bring in Philippe Coutinho and Lucas Digne in January, suggesting that they are a well-run club who know what they're doing when it comes to negotiating.

Therefore, they cannot be completely written off in their pursuit of Bentancur just yet. 

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