Aston Villa have sealed a deal to take Jota from local rivals Birmingham City as Gary Gardner heads in the opposite direction on a permanent deal, according to the Sun.
The newspaper claim that the move, which includes a £4million transfer fee, is all but completed, with Villa boss Dean Smith securing a reunion with the 27-year-old after managing the forward, who can play as a winger or an attacking midfielder, at former side Brentford.
It is stated that Jota was on wages of £35,000-a-week at Birmingham City, the Blues taking lifelong supporter Gardner on a permanent deal after his loan spell at the club.
Opinion
It is time for Jota to prove what he can do among the big boys of English football. He has been impressing for years in the Championship and it seemed only a matter of time before someone gave him a shot in the Premier League, Smith the one to take the plunge and give him a chance to dazzle the elite. It is a pretty good deal for Villa considering Gardner was not going to play any part next season, with the £4million fee a bargain in comparison to other price tags out there. Where he fits into the line up remains to be seen – Jack Grealish unlikely to give up his attacking midfield role and the likes of Anwar El Ghazi likely to return to the wing after his loan spell – but with the likes of Albert Adomah on the way out, Smith knows he needs to bolster his squad. The Premier League season might not be as arduous as the Championship in terms of games played, but the quality is a different class entirely. Has Jota got what it takes? That remains to be seen.