Neal Maupay has been linked with a move to Aston Villa for a while now.

According to Sun, the player has now been left out of the Brentford squad amid speculation over a summer transfer.

This could be a boost for Villa who are looking to sign the prolific striker.

Leaving him out of the pre-season preparations could mean that Brentford are preparing for his departure this summer.

Dean Smith could use another striker this summer and Maupay would be a superb signing. The 22-year-old scored around 28 goals for the Championship club last season and he would be the ideal partner for Wesley Moraes.

Villa will need considerable firepower against the Premier League defences and bringing in another quality striker would be ideal.

It will be interesting to see if Aston Villa manage to get the deal over the line now.

Maupay would certainly be tempted to join a Premier League club and therefore convincing the player might not be too hard.

If Villa can agree on a fee with Brentford, the deal could be done soon.

The player was valued at £22m initially but the Sun believe that the asking price has dropped recently.