Aston Villa have seen a move for Said Benrahma knocked back by Brentford, Sky Sports News understands. The 23-year-old played 14 times under Villa boss Dean Smith when he was in charge at Brentford at the beginning of this season, having signed from French club Nice last year. Benrahma went on to impress across 45 appearances in total last season, scoring 11 goals, and Smith has made him a top target for the newly-promoted Premier League side this summer. Smith has already signed another player he coached at Brentford - the Spaniard Jota - who has joined from local rivals Birmingham City. Villa have also made the loan of Anwar El-Ghazi a permanent fixture this week, signing him on a four-year contract.

Source: Sky sports June 10, 2019 11:51 UTC