Aston Villa are closing in on a deal to bring Birmingham City winger Jota to Villa Park, according to The Sun.

The report emerged last week and while a deal has not yet been finalised, journalist Alan Nixon has reassured Villa supporters that a deal for the Spaniard remains on the table.

Jota would be Dean Smith's first signing of the summer as he looks to equip his squad for their top-flight return, and we take a closer look at the imminent move in our latest FLW Six Point Opinion...

Who is Jota?

He is a Spanish attacker who was deployed on the right wing throughout last season, but is also effective in any position across the front line.

He joined Birmingham from Brentford in 2017 after a successful stint at Griffin Park under current Villa boss Dean Smith, during which time he helped the Bees to the Championship play-offs.

After starting his career at Celta Vigo, it was at Brentford that Jota made his name in the Championship as a lively and creative attacking player.

How did Jota perform last season?

Jota was a regular feature under Garry Monk, and he was involved in 12 goals for the Blues as they secured Championship survival following a nine-point deduction.

His nine assists showed his capability of creating chances from the wing, while he can be extremely dangerous with the ball at his feet given his pace and strong left foot.

He also scored three goals during the campaign, with his wonderful goal against Nottingham Forest in February revealing his composure in front of goal.

Would he be missed by Birmingham?

The Blues will need to replace his creativity from the wing, as they will miss him providing assists and the threat he poses when cutting inside on to his left foot.

He is a naturally gifted footballer who you would have to say is one of the more skilful players at St Andrews, but he has sometimes lacked consistency during his two-year stint in the Midlands.

This means he has occasionally divided opinion within the Birmingham fan base, but I think the club will find it hard to replace his quality given their current predicament.

Why are Villa showing an interest in him?

It appears Jota's performances on the right flank have very much caught the eye of their Midlands rivals, who recently secured promotion to the Premier League with a 2-1 play-off final victory over Derby County.

However, Jota is a player who will have been on Dean Smith's radar for some time given the way Jota performed under him when he was Brentford manager.

The Spaniard played his best football under Smith so the Villa boss will feel capable of getting the best out of him next season, as he knows where Jota will fit in his playing style.

Where will Jota fit in at Villa?

Jota would become the first player to move between the Second City clubs since 1983, which means he has his work cut out to win over the Villa fan base.

His pace and trickery would be a welcome addition to Villa's forward line, while it seems logical that he would be able to flex his skills more in the Premier League where he will get more time on the ball.

The 27-year-old will likely need to work hard to get into the Villa side as he will firstly need to prove his ability to adapt to the top-flight, but he should be a solid squad player for Smith at the very least.

How should Villa fans be feeling about his imminent arrival?

Some supporters may find it hard to overlook his stint at their bitter rivals, but it should be remembered that Smith has worked with Jota before so he will feel confident that the move will be a success.

This should be viewed as a decent start to Villa's transfer business, but supporters will be hoping the club are able to sign more players with Premier League experience over the course of the window.

A move for Jota would not even have been out of the question if Villa had stayed in the Championship, so the club hierarchy should also start looking to recruit players who better reflect their new Premier League status as the window progresses.