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Villa boss McLeish confirms deal close for Wigan winger N'Zogbia

Aston Villa boss Alex McLeish has confirmed they're close to an agreement for Wigan Athletic winger Charles N'Zogbia.

The 25-year-old Frenchman will help fill the hole left by the sales of England duo Ashley Young and Stewart Downing to Manchester United and Liverpool respectively.

"The deal hasn't been fully done yet, he still has to complete a medical. I believe everything else is just about there," said McLeish during an Asia Trophy press conference in Hong Kong.

"I think it's a great addition to the squad. He's an explosive player and he gives us a little bit of quality to replace one or two of the guys that have left the club.

"We try to do as much homework as possible to ensure we can get it done. You can never say it's a 100 per cent done deal, that's why I remain cautious, but I'm pretty confident.

"You saw his exploits last season, especially towards the end of the campaign when he scored five or six goals which were extremely important for Wigan to stay in the league.

"I felt we needed to replace Downing with similar quality, he's broken into the French national team, I believe we've got a player who can become even better."

 It's kicking off again! Click here for your No1 source for Aston Villa transfer market news and gossip.

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