Tuesday 7 January 2020 13:43, UK
Chelsea midfielder Danny Drinkwater has arrived at Aston Villa's training ground to undergo a medical, after the two clubs agreed a loan deal for the midfielder, Sky Sports News has learned.
Drinkwater was due to train back at Chelsea for the first time on Tuesday morning, after his loan with Burnley was terminated, but those plans changed after his parent club agreed to continue to pay a significant proportion of his wages.
He is expected to be confirmed as a Villa player on Tuesday, but will not play against his old club Leicester in Wednesday's Sky Live Carabao Cup semi-final as he is cup tied.
Villa had made an approach to Chelsea to take Olivier Giroud on loan for the rest of the season, but competition rules dictate that only one loan is allowed between the same two Premier League clubs, and so - with Giroud hoping to reunite with Antonio Conte at Inter Milan - Dean Smith went for Drinkwater instead.
Drinkwater's first game in a Villa shirt could be Sunday's game at home to the champions, Manchester City, which is live on Sky Sports Premier League.
The 29-year-old managed less than an hour playing time in the Premier League after joining Burnley in the summer, and an injured ankle meant he missed several weeks of football in September after being attacked by a gang of men outside a Manchester nightclub.
Villa are confident Drinkwater is fit and ready to go straight into the first team, to deputise for John McGinn, who is out until March with an ankle injury.
Drinkwater was a key member of Leicester's Premier League winning side in 2015-16 before moving to Chelsea for £35m in September 2017.
How to follow the January transfer window
Sky Sports will bring you the very latest news from the January transfer market with the return of three shows.
Start your day with Good Morning Transfers at 9am as our team of reporters bring you the latest news and insight. Transfer Talk then follows at midday delivering analysis of the biggest stories. Then join us at 7pm for the definitive round-up of the day's news with The Transfer Show.
Meanwhile, the Transfer Talk podcast will also be back at the turn of the year with more expert analysis from here and across the continent.
And as well as tuning into Sky Sports News, don't miss a thing with our dedicated Transfer Centre blog.
