Aberdeen defender and Aston Villa transfer target Scott McKenna has admitted that a move to the Premier League is the "ambition" amid January interest, according to reports from the Scotsman.

The 22-year-old has been magnificent for Aberdeen over the last year or so, and has been quickly regarded as one of the finest defenders in Scotland after a string of impressive performances at Pittodrie.

Reports have suggested that both Wolverhampton Wanderers and Aston Villa remain interested in the towering centre-half - the latter reportedly had a £7million bid turned down in the summer for the defender.

But Dean Smith's men may have been dealt a recent blow, after McKenna recently went out on record and said that a move to the Premier League is a long-term goal.

"I think that is most people’s ambition (a move to the Premier League),” McKenna said.

“It’s been a good year but I don’t want to get too far ahead of myself - if I take my eye off the ball it would be quite easy to slip out of the Aberdeen team and then that would seem a million miles away.”

Villa are in desperate need of defensive reinforcements and currently sit 11th in the Championship table.

The Verdict

This could be a big blow for Villa, however, a move to the Championship is often a launchpad for players to get into the Premier League.

Villa aren't out of the promotion mix whatsoever, so perhaps McKenna may opt for a move to Villa Park if Smith can sell him the club's ambition of reaching the top flight.