Bednarek, Dendoncker join Villa | Wolves sign Traore from Metz

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Aston Villa have confirmed the Deadline Day signings of Leander Dendoncker and Jan Bednarek, while Wolves secured the signature of Boubacar Traore from Metz.

Belgium international Dendoncker has moved across the Midlands from Molineux to Villa Park after an undisclosed fee, thought to be £13m, was agreed between the two clubs earlier on Thursday.

The length of the contract he has signed has not been disclosed at this stage.

Dendoncker, 27, made 159 appearances for Wolves after joining from Anderlecht, initially on loan in 2018 and permanently a year later.

His sale could not, however, persuade Aston Villa to accept an improved bid from Arsenal for midfielder Douglas Luiz, who rebuffed bids of £20m, £23m and £25m from the Gunners on Thursday.

Bednarek, meanwhile, has signed for Villa on a season-long loan from Southampton.

The 26-year-old Poland defender had looked set for a move to West Ham earlier in the day, but that move fell through.

He has spent five years at St Mary’s, following a 2017 move from Lech Poznan and has made over 150 appearances for the club.

Meanwhile, Wolves’ move for Traore – a Mali U23 international – is a season-long with an option to buy for €11m.

The 21-year-old underwent a medical on Thursday evening, and personal terms were not a problem.

Gerrard: I’m not in control of Douglas Luiz situation

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Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard admits Douglas Luiz’s future at the club is in his own hands as he only has a short time left on his contract

Meanwhile, Aston Villa boss Steven Gerrard said his recruitment team were also working hard to deliver a Deadline Day boost – although he also discussed the potential exit of Luiz, which did not materialise in the end.

“I’m not in control of that,” said Gerrard, when asked whether Luiz – who scored a sensational goal from a corner – would still be at the club at the end of Thursday. “There are more than two people in control of that but I’m certainly not one of them.

“That will be Douglas, that will be his agent’s decision as to what happens around that. I’d like to keep him because he’s a fantastic player. I’ve made that abundantly clear.

“We are not in a position where we need to lose our top players, but at the same time, Douglas has got a year to go, and it is one of those really touchy situations where the club have to do what is best for the club and not necessarily what’s best for me.”

On incomings, he said: “There’s obviously very little time left, but people are working ever so hard in the background to try and get some support in where we feel like we need it. I don’t think it makes sense for me to say where and how many, but we are working hard to try and make additions and for one or two to go the other way.”

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