Aston Villa are on the verge of completing a £12m deal for Real Betis left back Alex Moreno

Aston Villa are finalizing the £12m signing of left-back Alex Moreno from Real Betis, in what will be his first deal of the January transfer window.

However, the impending purchase will raise questions about the future of Lucas Digne, who joined the club just a year ago in a £25m deal from Everton, signed a four-and-a-half-year contract, and is one of the highest of the club employees

Moreno has not traveled to Saudi Arabia with the Betis squad for the Spanish Super Cup mini-tournament while he awaits the evolution of his transfer to the Premier League.

Boss Unai Emery was quick to identify the 29-year-old Moreno as a priority target for this window even though he already has Lucas Digne and Ludwig Augustinsson at senior left-backs, while Ashley Young may also play there.

Moreno turned down the chance to join Nottingham Forest last summer, but the presence of fellow Spaniard Emery at Villa could persuade him to leave Betis. If the clubs can agree a fee, personal terms are unlikely to present an obstacle.

Villa’s billionaire owners Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens will back Emery in the winter transfer window and pumped a further £13.5m into the club’s coffers last week.

Emery has won three and drawn one of his five league games in charge since the sacking of Steven Gerrard and coupled with the interest in Moreno, he is desperate to bring in at least one attacking winger. Emery is interested in former Everton and Watford player Gerard Deulofeu, who plays for Udinese.

Apart from Moreno, Villa central defender Kortney Hause is in talks to cancel his loan at Watford while he begins a rehabilitation program for his knee injury. He’s probably gone for another six weeks.