Liverpool snubbed as Barcelona's Adama Traore closes in on move to Aston Villa

Adama Traore has made just four appearances for Barcelona's first-team

Aston Villa are close to signing Barcelona’s Adama Traore, who has rejected Liverpool in favour of a move to Villa Park, according to Sky sources.

The 19-year-old former Spain U19 international, who has made just one start and three substitute appearances for Barca, is expected to finalise his move on Thursday.

Spanish newspaper AS has reported that he will sign a three-year deal with the option of a fourth.

Sky Sports reported earlier this week that Villa had stepped up their interest in Traore, whom a number of English newspapers also reported was of interest to Stoke City.

And Sky Sports’ Spanish football expert Graham Hunter believes the player has a big future in the Premier League.

"He has the potential to become an exceptional player," Hunter told Sky Sports News HQ.

"He is the kind of player which explain why people buy season tickets and why Sky have invested in the Premier League again.

“Okay, he's not English, he's from Spain and was born in Barcelona, but he's frighteningly exciting. He runs at players and goes past them.

“He has the ability to do things that should be the provenance of a man of similar stature to Lionel Messi. But no, he's like a well-built middleweight boxer.”

Traore is a product of Barcelona's La Masia academy and turned out 63 times for the club's B team in the Spanish lower leagues.