Aston Villa will have to break the Championship transfer record in order to sign Brentford striker Neal Maupay, the Evening Standard reports.
Villa boss Dean Smith is looking to replace on-loan Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham, who has been linked with a move to Wolves and is said to be keen on reuniting with Maupay at Villa Park.
Brentford, however, are reluctant to sell their star man and have a history of ensuring the valuation of their players is met before agreeing to a deal.
According to reports, the Bees will demand a fee that would top the record £15.8 million fee Wolves paid for midfielder Ruben Neves in 2017.
The Frenchman, who has scored 15 goals so far this season in the Championship, is also a target for Premier League strugglers Huddersfield.
Villa will be keen to avoid a bidding war with the Terriers for the striker, who signed for Brentford for a fee in the region of just £1.5million in 2017.
The 22-year-old is said to be valued much higher than former Bees striker Scott Hogan, who also moved to Villa Park two years ago for £12million, and looks set to become the most expensive Championship player ever should the deal go through.
