Aston Villa's top priority on Deadline Day is to try and bring in a defensive midfielder, according to journalist Pete O'Rourke.

The Villans have already been active in the market this month, and O'Rourke thinks they may be looking to make one final signing before the transfer window closes.

Who have Villa signed this month?

In his first transfer window at the club, Steven Gerrard has certainly looked to make his mark.

The 41-year-old managed to convince his former Liverpool teammate Philippe Coutinho to join Villa, before bringing in left-back Lucas Digne from Everton a few days later.

Last week, Villa made their third signing in January when they added versatile defender Calum Chambers to their squad on a permanent deal from Arsenal.

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What has O'Rourke said about Villa's priorities for Deadline Day?

O'Rourke believes that Gerrard has pinpointed the holding midfielder position as the one that he would like to strengthen, and has claimed that bringing someone in to cover this role would round off an eye-catching month for the Midlands club.

He told GIVEMESPORT: “Villa, if they can get that defensive midfielder, that will be their top target. I just think Villa's top priority is a defensive midfielder, and if they can get that done, I think it'd be a very successful window for Aston Villa."

Who could Villa sign for this position?

Villa identified Rodrigo Bentancur as an option for this role, but their bid was rejected by Juventus, and the Uruguayan now looks set to move to Tottenham instead.

As a result, they seem to have turned their attention to Brighton's Yves Bissouma. According to The Telegraph, the 25-year-old is firmly on Villa's radar, and the club are currently deciding whether to make an offer for the player today or to wait until the summer.

Time is against Villa to get a deal done before tonight's 11pm deadline, but they have shown during this window that they are an ambitious club who are willing to spend to start climbing the league.

Therefore, it cannot be completely ruled out that they make a late attempt to sign Bissouma, which could be the icing on the cake for what has been a remarkable month in terms of transfers for Gerrard's side. 

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