• Downing had been promised he could move to a big club
• England man likely to be out until October after foot surgery

Aston Villa have agreed a fee of around £12m with Middlesbrough for their winger Stewart Downing. Downing is currently recovering from surgery on a fractured bone in his foot, and is unlikely to be ready for competitive football before October at the earliest, but it appears the Villa manager Martin O’Neill is now keen to complete a deal this summer, rather than waiting until January as had previously been suggested.

Downing, for his part, did not relish the prospect of playing Championship football as he looks to press his claim for a place in Fabio Capello’s England squad ahead of next summer’s World Cup. He had been promised by Middlesbrough’s chairman, Steve Gibson, that he could leave if a big club came in at the right price and the Boro manager Gareth Southgate is resigned to losing the player.

Downing was given clearance to start gym work following a visit to a specialist last week and is due to have a pin inserted in his foot, which he fractured during a game against Aston Villa last season, removed during September. His surgeon is said to be “very pleased” with Downing’s progress and is confident he will make a full recovery.

Martin O’Neill regards Downing as a partial replacement for Gareth Barry, and is also understood to have expressed an interest in Boro’s Tuncay Sanli. Middlesbrough are reportedly demanding a fee of close to £8m for the Turkey international.