da bet vitoria： Aston Villa correspondent Ashley Preece has claimed that PSV Eindhoven midfielder Ibrahim Sangare has been ‘mentioned in Villa circles’ as a potential target this summer.
The lowdown: Villans interested
da betano casino： Recently, a report from Football Insider credited the Villans and Midlands rivals Leicester City with an interest in signing Sangare during the ongoing transfer window.
The 24-year-old Ivory Coast international has also been courted by Chelsea and Manchester United this summer having become a regular feature in the heart of the PSV side following a move from Toulouse in 2020.
Possessing a reported £30million release clause in his current deal that is not due to expire until 2025 (Transfermarkt), Sangare could be the ideal candidate to come in and bolster Steven Gerrard’s options in the engine room.
Now, one well-informed source has now shed some more light on the admiration from Villa Park…
The latest: ‘Has been mentioned’
Replying to fan questions in a Q&A for Birmingham Live, when asked about the interest and the attendance of Gerrard on a scouting mission to Holland last term, Preece confirmed that the 24-cap star has been among those discussed within the club.
He said: “Yep, spot on re SG being at PSV-Leicester mate; Sangare is one that has been mentioned in circles at Villa but nothing more. A lot of interest in him. I don’t know if Villa have an interest with that one. I’m sure they would have acted now if they did. We’ll have to see.”
The verdict: Waiting game
As exciting Bodymoor Heath prospect Carney Chukwuemeka continues to be heavily linked with a move away from the Villans this summer, Gerrard and Sporting Director Johan Lange may simply be biding their time before swooping for an additional midfielder.
The departure of the 18-year-old would leave John McGinn, Marvelous Nakamba, Jacob Ramsey, Morgan Sanson, new signing Boubacar Kamara and Douglas Luiz – who himself is facing an uncertain future at Villa Park – as the remaining central midfield options, likely to be viewed as one man light given the gruelling campaign ahead.
Predominantly operating as a defensive midfielder, Sangare – who was described as being ‘like Yaya Toure’ in terms of physicality by journalist Alpha Balde – earned an outstanding 7.38 Sofascore rating last season whilst winning 7.4 duels, completing 1.6 dribbles and making 2.6 interceptions on average per Eredivisie outing – showcasing impressive consistency as well as his ability to influence in both attack and defence.
Going forward, the 6 foot 2 Ivorian provided eight direct goal contributions in 48 appearances across all competitions in 2021/22 and would be a superb capture for the Villa hierarchy should those discussions be reignited in the coming weeks.