With Aston Villa set to make Tommy Elphick their first signing under Roberto Di Matteo, it begs the question as to who else the club might look to bring in.

Elphick, the current Bournemouth captain, will swap Premier League football and a team which is full of spirit, to seemingly join Di Matteo and the Villains under new owner Tony Xia.

It represents the first major warning sign to clubs in the Championship that players still want to play for Aston Villa, and that they can and will attract talent from the top league.

With Di Matteo having a transfer budget bigger than most in the Championship, he will be looking to bolster his squad and options more and more as the summer progresses.

Players may now see Elphick signing as a bit of an eye opener, and could well be tempted to join him under the former Chelsea manager.

With this in mind, here are FIVE players who could follow Tommy Elphick to Aston Villa....

Alex Pritchard

AP

The young midfielder is still contracted to Spurs, but after another season of disappointment and failing to really impress on loan at West Brom, it might be time for him to drop into the Championship.

Full of ability and with great technical talent, Pritchard would be an excellent fit at Villa Park.

Di Matteo will need players who can create chances and Pritchard fits just that mould. Add to it the fact he may well want to prove a point to Spurs, and it could well be an ingenious move by Di Matteo.

Dwight Gayle

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The Palace frontman is always linked with moves away during the transfer window, but somehow always ends up staying with the Selhurst Park club.

However, a solid move for him from Villa could well tempt Gayle to finally make a move and secure some regular first team football.

There is no denying his talent, and he has pace to burn, but he really needs to be getting a consistent run of games under his belt now. A move to Villa could be just the ticket for a player like Gayle.

Grant Hanley

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The big defender who is currently at Blackburn could be an ideal signing for a club like Villa who are new to the Championship.

Strong in the tackle, dominant in the air, and with plenty of Championship experience, Di Matteo would be wise to try and bring in the centre back and team him with Elphick.

Hanley has been one of Blackburn's most consistent performers in what has generally been a time of struggle for the club, and it will take a hefty bid I imagine to lure him away.

Villa however, have the funds to lodge such a bid.

Kevin McDonald

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The former Sheffield United midfielder has recently fallen out of favour with Wolves, but this does take anything away from the tremendous talent that he possesses.

McDonald was the player of the season at Molineux a few seasons ago, and played well last season until off field issues caused Jackett to drop him from the starting 11.

If Di Matteo could get McDonald back to his best he could be a snip if they can get him for a decent price.

He has ability to control and run a game from the middle of the park, and should definitely be considered as a player to sign at Villa Park.

Ross McCormack

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If Villa want to go out and demonstrate they mean business, then what better way to do so than going out and signing one of the league's best strikers.

Over 20 goals yet again last term in a struggling Fulham side got heads turning again, and his partnership with fellow forward Moussa Dembele was one of the best in the country.

He will not come cheap, probably around the £10m mark, but he would represent a major statement from the club if they were to dip into the market for him.

Villa fans, would you take these 5? Who else do you want the club to sign? Let us know in the comments below!!!